Audio file: Merkel/Karzai presser in Berlin (in English)
For my (few?) international readers: Here’s the audio file of the press conference given by German chancellor Angela Merkel and Afghanistan’s president Hamid Karzai on Wednesday in Berlin. Most important remark by Merkel: Germany will contribute 150 million Euros annually after 2014 to support the Afghan security forces.
(I choose the English version throughout to be prepared for possible questions and remarks in Dari, so also the Chancellor’s remarks are dubbed in English.)
is this meant to support the security forces only? How much would that really help, even if any is better than nothing?
@APII
This is for the security forces only. As Karzai said: it’s a budget of 4.1 bn $, of which Afghanistan shoulders approx 500 million $, the rest has to be contributed by NATO members and others…
There’s also the ANA Trust Funds, plus the contributions for civilian reconstruction (which will be pledged in Toky in July).