Home News EU – France to hold Afghanistan aid conference in June

EU – France to hold Afghanistan aid conference in June

Published on 22/02/2008

   BRDO PRI KRANJU, Slovenia, February 22, 2008 - France will host aninternational conference on development aid for Afghanistan in late June toreiterate EU's support, an EU official said here Thursday.   "The Paris conference, late in June, should provide an opportunity for usto reiterate our support (to Afghanistan) and review half way the process thatstarted in London," EU special representative to the country Francesc Vendrellsaid during a meeting of the EU Troika here.   Berlin hosted the last development aid conference for Afghanistan inJanuary 2007 to follow up on a meeting the previous year in London when afive-year reconstruction plan was launched.   French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced last month the organization of anew conference without giving a date.   France has about 1,600 troops serving in Afghanistan in a 60,000-strongNATO-led force battling the Taliban-led insurgency. They are also providingtraining for Afghanistan's security forces.

AFP