{"id":49500,"date":"2014-10-30T14:01:11","date_gmt":"2014-10-30T14:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=5d07340aaf1a55aac193a933e399c9f2"},"modified":"2014-10-30T14:01:11","modified_gmt":"2014-10-30T14:01:11","slug":"statement-to-parliament-afghanistan-monthly-progress-report-for-september-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=49500","title":{"rendered":"Statement to Parliament: Afghanistan Monthly Progress Report for September 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr Philip Hammond): <\/p>\n

I wish to inform the House that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, together with the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development, is today publishing the forty-first progress report on developments in Afghanistan since November 2010.
\nAfter a protracted period of negotiation, Dr Ashraf Ghani and Dr Abdullah Abduallah signed the agreement forming a National Unity Government at the Presidential Palace on 21 September. The agreement committed Dr Ghani and Dr Abdullah to creating a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position by presidential decree straight after the inauguration and to holding a Loya Jirga within two years to consider amending the Constitution to formalise the CEO role into that of an executive Prime Minister. <\/p>\n

President Ghani\u2019s inauguration took place on 29 September. The first democratic transfer of power from one elected President to another, marked a truly historic moment in the history of Afghanistan. The Ghani government signed the Bilateral Security Agreement and the NATO Status of Forces Agreement on 30 September.<\/p>\n

The NATO Wales Summit discussed Afghanistan on 4 September. The meeting paid tribute to ISAF and Afghan sacrifices, recognised their achievements, and underlined continuing international commitment to supporting Afghanistan. A subsequent ISAF Declaration outlined in particular the NATO-led support envisaged for Afghanistan after 2014.<\/p>\n

Following the NATO summit, on 8 September the Prime Minister told Parliament: \u2018We reaffirmed our long term commitment to supporting a peaceful, prosperous and stable Afghanistan, including through our development conference in London in November.\u2019 This is now planned for 3-4 December.<\/p>\n

The Secretary of State for Defence travelled to Kabul on 23-24 September for a visit timed to enable him to deliver the keynote speech at the ceremony marking the graduation of the first Kandak (battalion) from the UK-sponsored Afghan National Army Officer Academy (ANAOA). He was the first international minister to meet with President Ghani and CEO Abdullah.<\/p>\n

I am placing the report in the Library of the House.<\/p>\n

Further information<\/h3>\n