Brussels, 5 October 2016

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 Around 100 delegations, more than 70 countries and 20 international organisations, Secretary General of the United Nations [Ban Ki-Moon], all gathered here in Brussels to express continued support to Afghan people, first of all, and Afghan women. We started this two days of meetings yesterday by a conference on empowering women in Afghanistan with the First Lady [Rula Ghani] and the President [Ashraf Ghani], to express full support of international community not only with words but also with our financial support.

 I expect today to collect pledges from around the world at the same level, similar level that the international community has mobilised so far. When it comes to the European Union and the Member States, we will pledge €1.2 billion. I would expect similar levels of engagement from our partners.

But this is not only about money, this is also about political support. The financial support I am sure will be there. There will not be any donors' fatigue on Afghanistan, provided that we will work and we will continue to work with our Afghan partners for the Afghan leadership to deliver for their people. But it will be also a matter of political support.

I have organised yesterday night a meeting, a regional dinner with key international players – the Secretary General of the United Nations, US Secretary Kerry - and also key regional players, such as China, India, Pakistan at a ministerial level, to work on a common basis for a regional political support to the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. Yesterday night we found common ground to support this process also with the regional perspective; and the European Union will try to facilitate this as much as possible in the coming months.

Because we see very clearly that security and development go hand-in-hand in Afghanistan. And security and development in Afghanistan is key to the region and also to the international community, including European Union. So today I would expect that we will have a full day of work, a clear commitment, not only international community but also from the regional actors and also from our Afghan friends, showing unity and determination for the benefit of their people.

 Q. Is the conference coverage for more cooperation on the refugee crisis?

A. As you know very well, the refugee issue is not on the agenda today. There is never, never a conditionality link between our development aid and whatever we do on migration and, as you know, this is not an issue we have on the agenda today. There was an agreement signed a few days ago that was a result of a parallel process, separate from this one. There is no conditionality, there is no link and again, I will mention this very clearly again today with all of you and I hope you help us passing the message. The reason for the international community coming here together, all together, 100 delegations, is to support Afghanistan for the sake of the Afghan people, for the sake of regional security and for the sake of international security. I hope we all remember why we are here today and this is why; because investing in security in Afghanistan and the success of Afghanistan is an investment in our own security.

 Q. On the situation in Aleppo.

A. We discussed about that at the margins and we will continue probably today.

Q. On security in the region.

A. Today we talk about Afghanistan, but you know very well that we are working hard, as the European Union, in particular for the situation in Aleppo that was referred to, from a humanitarian point of view but also from a political point of view. We are trying to put together the pieces of a political process that we still believe is the only way forward. We strongly believe there is no military solution for the conflict in Syria and this is why we are trying to work very hard with all our partners, starting from the UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura but also the others to put this process back on track. 

 Q. Will fighting in Kunduz derail the peace process or overshadow conference?

A. You know, normally these events are not happening by chance in the sense of calendar. There is always resistance to change into peace. We see it in Afghanistan; we see it in other places, in Syria indeed. Our job is to guarantee that we keep focused on the peace and reconciliation process that has to be an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process. It is also very clear that it has to be a process led by the Afghans within the framework of their Constitution, on the basis of democracy, and it will have to have an element of inclusiveness with the Talibans. This is what we discussed also yesterday with the regional players, it is in the hands of the Afghan friends, and obviously also the regional players to lead this forward but, again, the international community will not be distracted and will keep continuing supporting the Afghan people, starting with women and young people in Afghanistan who deserve to finally live in a country at the level of their own strengths, wisdom and ambitions. The Afghan people are great people who deserve a good country. Thanks.

 [In Italian]

 Q. Maggiori impegni sul piano dell'immigrazione?

Sul piano dell'immigrazione abbiamo già firmato con il governo afgano, qualche giorno fa, un accordo che ci consente di lavorare in pieno spirito di partnership per gestire meglio questo fenomeno dal lato europeo e dal lato afgano. Oggi non c'è nessuna condizionalità. Gli aiuti per l'Afghanistan sono oggi sul tavolo in modo consistente: 1,2 miliardi di euro da parte dell’Unione Europea i degli Stati membri dell’Unione Europea. Ma non è soltanto un sostegno finanziario, è anche un sostegno politico. Ieri sera qui à Bruxelles ho riunito i principali attori regionali dalla China, all’India, al Pakistan insieme al Segretario Generale delle Nazioni Unite Ban Ki-moon, insieme à John Kerry per costruire un percorso di sostegno politico regionale al processo di pace e di riconciliazione dell’Afghanistan che includa anche un dialogo con i talebani. Sabbiamo molto bene che c'è bisogno di un processo interno di riconciliazione dal punto di vista politico. Quindi c'è il sostegno finanziario, c'è il sostegno politico che stiamo costruendo intorno a questo processo. C'è separatamente un accordo già firmato con il governo afgano sulla gestione comune dei flussi migratori, un processo separato ma che abbiamo già concluso con reciproca soddisfazione da parte di entrambi qualche giorno fa.

Q. I militari occidentali comprese le forze italiane sono in Afghanistan ormai da 15 anni. Per quanto tempo ci devono restare ancora?

Non sta me dirlo. Avremo qui oggi il Segretario Generale della NATO per fare un collegamento tra il lavoro che si fa sul piano della sicurezza dal punto di vista militare e il lavoro che si fa del punto di vista del sostegno economico, finanziario e allo sviluppo agli investimenti economici e anche al processo politico in Afghanistan. Per quello che riguarda l'Unione Europea il nostro sostengo sul piano della sicurezza all'Afghanistan è concentrato sulla formazione della polizia. Addestriamo la polizia afgana comprese donne poliziotto, un elemento molto importante della vita sociale del Paese. E' chiaro che quanto più la comunità internazionale riuscirà ad investire nella società civile, nelle donne, nella creazione di condizioni di sviluppo per il paese a partire dall'istruzione per tutti, tanto prima le forze internazionali potranno effettivamente consegnare pienamente alle forze afgane la sicurezza del paese. Grazie.

 Link to the video:  http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/video/player.cfm?ref=I127211