An international conference on Afghan reconstruction was held on
Wednesday in Tokyo, with representatives from more than 60 donor
countries and international organizations and agencies gathering
for the second time to hold discussion on topics of security,
economic development and further financial donations for the
war-torn country.
In an opening remarks, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso
praised Afghanistan for having made "great strides towards peace,
stability and democracy," and called on the international society
to give continued support for Afghan people's rebuilding
efforts.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai appreciated donor countries' and
international agencies' support in the past several years, and
asked the international community to go on with its generosity to
help his country on economic recovery and infrastructure
reconstruction.
The one-day Second Tokyo Conference on Consolidation of Peace in
Afghanistan, jointly chaired by Japan, Afghan and the United
Nations, will conclude in the afternoon with a chairman's
summary.
The first conference was held in Tokyo in February 2003.
Meanwhile, two explosions shocked Afghan capital Kabul in a span
of 10 minutes in the morning rush hour Wednesday, wounding eight
persons, an official at the office of the Interior Ministry
confirmed.
"The first explosion at 7:20 AM targeted a bus of the government
employees in Joi Shir area, injuring four persons, while the second
at 7:30 AM in Khari Khana area hurt four employees of the Commerce
Ministry," the official told Xinhua but declined to be named.
The first explosion targeted a bus of the employees of
Afghanistan National Army, wounding four army staff including a
lady. But witnesses said seven persons were injured.
Five more persons including an employee of the Interior Ministry
and four passersby were also injured in Tuesday's twin explosions
in Kabul.
Meanwhile, a man named Hanif, who claims to speak for Taliban
militants, accepted responsibility, saying remnants of the former
fundamentalist regime carried out the attacks. Taliban militants,
who staged a violent comeback, have intensified their attacks over
the past two months during which some 600 have been killed.
Over 1000 people, mostly militants, have been killed in
Taliban-linked insurgency over the past six months, according to
official sources.
(Xinhua News Agency July 5, 2006)
