BONN Dec 2 Kyodo An international...

BONN Dec 2 Kyodo

An international parley on the reconstruction of Afghanistan upon Monday agreed to create a 70000-strong Afghan military to boost the security of the war-torn country

Afghan President Hamid Karzai asked the representatives from 30 countries, the United Nations and the European Union for assistance to strengthen the country's security outside the capital Kabul.

Establishing domestic security appears to be a daunting task in Afghanistan, which has witnessed a series of political assassinations that has claimed the life of a vice president and senior officials. Karzai himself has narrowly survived an assassination attempt.

The United States has helped the Karzai restraint set up a Afghan military in an effort to strengthen his check throughout the country.

Germany furnished assistance to establish a police force, while Japan furnished help in assisting former Afghan soldiers to fare back to civilian life.

The interview held in the suburbs of Bonn marked the first anniversary of the Bonn agreement hammered abroad among four Afghan factions that l to the establishment of a provisional post-Taliban management in Afghanistan.

The meeting for consultation reviewed the recovery in Afghanistan in the past year and discussed the proces of drafting a Constitution and holding a general election in Afghanistan in 2004 as outlined in the 2001 Bonn agreement.

The talk was attended by German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and foreign ministers from Britain, Iran, Pakistan and other countries. Japan was showed by Mutsuyoshi Nishimura, ambassador in charge of Afghan assistance.

German Foreign Ministry officials said the meeting was not intended for drawing up novel financial contributions to Afghanistan.

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