Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Kabul (BNA) To start with President Hamid Karzai informed the Council of Minister (CM) on the result of his visit to the US at the invitation of US president and his meetings with president, defense secretary and state secretary of that country.
He said that at these meeting issues related to strengthening of long-term cooperation based on national interests of the two countries, delivering of the responsibility of air space and the prisons to Afghanistan, withdrawal of US soldiers from the villages and localities, holding of the presidential elections, signing of security pact between the two nations, talks with the Taliban, peace process and creation of Taliban office in Qatar were topics of discussions between the sides.
Meanwhile, the president of the two countries also discussed over joint strategic viewpoints for a stable Afghanistan and emphasized on the long-term strategic cooperation agreement between the two nations.
The Afghan delegation had its achievements of the visit including transition of the security responsibilities, withdrawal of US soldiers from the villages and their role in Afghanistan from the sparing of the upcoming year from the combat status to support status to the security forces, equipping and financing of the domestic security forces, proper arming and empowering of the Afghan security forces especially in terms of artillery and intelligence including access to four military transport aircrafts, 20 helicopter and drone planes, delivering of the air spice of Afghanistan and the prisons to the Afghan side, ensuring the expenses of 350,000 security forces till the end of 2017 and continued economic assistance in respect to financing of infrastructure projects like reconstruction of the Salang Highway, completion of construction of Salma Dam, construction of railway line, projects of Kokcha dam, and other large and small agricultural dams were issues agreed upon them during the US visit.
At the end of the visit a joint statement was issued by the leaders of the two nations in which US cooperation in respect to economic cooperation including annual assistance of over 800 million US dollars to the national budget of Afghanistan, support to the peace and reconciliation, upgrading regional cooperation and the bilateral security agreement were envisaged.
At this statement the US president once again has said that the US respect the national sovereignty of Afghanistan and the US will continue its commitments till Afghanistan fully attains its security and development.
More details of the statement were released at the press conference of President Hamid Karzai.
The council of ministers considered the results of the Afghan delegation’s visit to the US as positive towards the national sovereignty and economic growth of Afghanistan and strengthening of the Afghan security forces and expressed its support to the joint statement of the two countries.
The CM instructed the ministries of public works and energy and water to accelerate work on the Herat-Cheshte Sharif road and construction of the Salama hydro-power dam and report on them of their routine supervision.
The Ministries of Interior Affairs, Defense and National Security Department also received instructions to cooperate in maintaining the security of those projects.
The ministry of transport and civil aviation was instructed by the CM to study the activities of the Arianna Afghan Airlines with one of the airlines companies and present its report to the Presidential Office in two week time.
Reviewing of the payment of the remaining cost of the residential plots of dismissed officers and cadres of the ministry of defense at the Padala Township was presented by the defense and finance ministers.
They said that of the total price Afs. 144 million retirement money of the officers and cadets pertaining to 1383 and 1384 were transferred to the Kabul Municipality while Afs. 705 million remaining sum is not deposited to the Kabul Municipality account.
The CM assigned the Kabul Municipality to distribute the plots to the officers and cadets against the transferred sum without seeking the remaining costs of the plots.
The decisions of the law committee of the CM were presented to the by justice minister.
The draft amendment at the regulation for creation of air transport as per the decisions of phrase 8 date 1/3/1391 of the CM.
The draft attachment No. 4 of the law on city taxes covering publicity ads.
The draft amendment No. 13 of internal post dispatches, creation of post boxes from the cost of 50 to 150 Afs. which were adopted by the CM accordingly.
The draft amendment of 4th and 17th and its attachment No. 1 of law on city taxes.
The CM after discussing the amendment to the above laws, assigned a committee led by justice minister with the membership of advisor minister in construction, technical, mines, energy and water and the representatives of ministries of finance, commerce and industries, organ development and Kabul municipality so that the amendment to the mentioned laws be reviewed and a report is prepared on them to the CM.
The Minister of public works presented the issue of expropriation of 127.60 jirib of land of the road of Maidan-Shar-Bamyan, property of 600 persons at the total price of 127.60 million Afghanis and expropriation and compensation of loses of 35 jirib of land the Jabul-Saraj road up to Nejrab property of 1134 people at the total cost of Afs. 37.7 million and the CM assigned the ministries of finance and public works to pay the expropriation money to their owners accordingly.
