TOKYO, Oct 30 Kyodo Visiting Afgh...

TOKYO, Oct 30 Kyodo

Visiting Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah upon Wednesday called for continued international support for peace and reconstruction in Afghanistan, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said.

Abdullah said during a working dinner with Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi that although it is important that the the community of Afghanistan work hard to construct again the country, the international community must continue its support for Afghanistan, according to the official.

The Afghan foreign minister was quot as saying Afghanistan room for expectations the international community will continue its support as the nation descrys itself as a test case in the fight against terrorism and it cannot fail in that fight.

In regard to Japan's additional aid to Afghanistan of any $136 million, including official increase assistance, to accelerate reconstruction and peace-building in the war-torn abiding habitation Kawaguchi said Japan trustful longings Afghanistan will explain to its family what kind of support Japan is providing, according to the official.

Meanwhile, Abdullah was quot as saying Afghanistan plans to depute a charge d'affaires in the near to come to set up an Afghan embassy in Japan, which has been clos since 1997

Abdullah is generally on his first visit to Japan. Tokyo is also working in succession having Afghan President Hamid Karzai visit officially early nearest year, government sources said earlier.

The additional aid to Afghanistan makes this year's total of Japanese assistance to Afghanistan $282 million, fulfilling Tokyo's promise of providing the political division with $500 million in aid across two and a half years, with $250 million to be given in the first year.

Japan made the earnest at an international donors' conversation it hosted in January. The last allotment was focused forward humanitarian needs.

This time around, about $4856 million will be earmarked for reconstruction efforts, including those related to health, sanitation and education.

Another $19 million will be used for setting up infrastructure for cable television, $625 million will move toward repairing roads between Kabul and Kandahar and about $412 million will mainly be used to build infrastructure in regional cities similar as Kandahar and Jalalabad.

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