Lanka to help develop medical facilities in Afghanistan - President Karzai

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Prof. W.A. Wiswa Warnapala met the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai in Colombo as the President was transuding at the BIA, Colombo on his way to attend the Asia-Africa Summit 2005 held in Bandung.

Paying a warm tribute to the President of Afghanistan, Prof. Warnapala intimated that it is an encouragement to note that the present political leadership of Afghanistan is taking an active interest to strengthen the inter-state relations within the Asia-Africa Region.

In the present context of the world, where the balance of forces changes rapidly, it is vital to strengthen the Bandung spirit for the well-being of the people of the whole world, he said. Commenting on the Bandung spirit, the Afghan President said that the steps taken by the African and Asian leaders 50 years ago, have strengthened the hands of the Third Worlds and it is up to the present generation to take forward the Bandung inheritance.

Prof. Warnapala informed the Afghan President during the long discussion, that Sri Lanka is in a position to help Afghanistan in a significant way in its educational and social reforms.

When educational and social reforms are geared for operation in Afghanistan, the Afghan Government will get the opportunity to recruit teachers, lecturers and other professionals for these assignments from Sri Lanka. Even Engineers and Technical Professionals of various fields can be employed in Afghanistan for development projects.

The Afghan President agreed with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs on this proposal and said it is better to recruit these professionals from Sri Lanka and other Asian countries, as it will pave the way to utilize the resources within the Asian Region. In enhancing medical facilities in Afghanistan, Sri Lankan expertise will be used, the Afghan President said.

Karzai further stated that he will be instructing the Finance Minister of his Government to send a delegation to Sri Lanka to study the situation here and report back to his government of how to utilize the human resources of Sri Lanka for the development of Afghanistan.