Bonn conference

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle called for a "clear signal" of solidarity with Afghanistan as delegates gathered for a conference on the country's future in the German city of Bonn.

Foreign ministers and other representatives of 85 states and 16 international organizations are attending the one-day conference on Monday, aimed at securing a long-term peace before the withdrawal of NATO troops, scheduled for 2014.

"We will not forget Afghanistan," Westerwelle said at a dinner on the eve of the conference, with guests including United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

It was a message that Westerwelle had spelled out in detail earlier in the day, amid concern that the absence of representatives of both Pakistan and the Taliban had rendered the talks meaningless.

The aim of the gathering in Bonn, Westerwelle said, remained "to give the clear signal to Afghanistan, and also to the world," that the country would not be abandoned when western troops leave.

"That is why we began, one-and-a-half years ago, to build up the existing Afghan security structures so that they can take care of security for themselves," Westerwelle said in an interview with the German public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk.

'No military solution'

Westerwelle acknowledged that terrorist attacks against the West had prompted the military intervention in Afghanistan. Germany currently has up to 5,350 troops in Afghanistan as part of an international force of 140,000 personnel.

"In spite of this, it is now important that we recognize something" said Westerwelle. "This mission has been going on for ten years and there is not going to be a military solution. It also needs a political solution."

In his interview, the foreign minister highlighted three key themes: the handover of security responsibilities, a reconciliation process and the strengthening of civil society.

There had been hopes that some representatives of the Taliban might make an appearance at the Bonn talks, although these have since faded. Westerwelle expressed optimism that such groups could be brought into the reconciliation process.

"To some extent that is happening already," said the foreign minister. "There are even deputies in parliament who call themselves 'ex-Taliban' and we are mapping out the reconciliation process."

"You don't make peace with friends, but rather with enemies," he added.

Inviolable principles of peace

However, said Westerwelle, an acceptance of certain principles was required of those who wanted to operate within democratic institutions.

"There must be principles in reconciliation that are not violated - renouncing terrorism and violence, respect for the constitution and respect for fundamental human and civil rights."

The absence of Afghanistan's neighbor Pakistan from the conference has been seen as an obstacle to progress. Pakistan said it would not attend the conference after a NATO bombing raid last month killed 24 Pakistani troops on the border between the two countries.

But Westerwelle said that the country had already made a significant contribution to preparations for the talks. "Of course, the news of more than 20 Pakistani soldiers being killed was terrible and I can understand that anger and grief have shaped the debate in Pakistan," said Westerwelle. "However, I am also sure that Pakistan will also maintain the position that the stabilization of Afghanistan is in its own interest."

Afghan accusations

In an interview with the German news magazine Der Spiegel, also ahead of the conference, Afghan President Karzai accused Pakistan of undermining efforts to negotiate with the Taliban.

"Up until now, they have sadly refused to back efforts for negotiations with the Taliban," he told Monday's issue of weekly publication, while also appealing for a western commitment to support Afghan security for a decade after NATO's withdrawal.

Meanwhile, a report from the US-based Human Rights Watch said measures to protect women and promote the rule of law in Afghanistan over the past decade had failed.

The report, published on Sunday, claimed that Afghans had been left vulnerable and disillusioned by a failure on the part of the Afghan government and coalition forces to sufficiently champion human rights.

Author: Richard Connor (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)
Editor: Holly Fox