EU urges Afghanistan to eradicate corruption

(BRUSSELS) - EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton urged Afghanistan on Monday to improve governance and eradicate corruption ahead of a key international conference in Kabul.

The European Union said last week it was postponing a three-year, 600-million-euro (777-million-dollar) aid package until after Tuesday's conference to ensure that the funds were matched to Afghan needs.

"The EU is keeping its promises to Afghanistan," Ashton said in a statement.

"We have a multi-annual commitment and will take steps to further align this assistance with the Afghan government's priorities."

At the conference, Afghanistan's major Western partners will expect to hear what progress has been made on a wide range of issues, and what plans there are for the future.

One of the catch-words of the conference is "alignment", a reference to coordinating Afghanistan's wish-list for development projects with the expectations of international donors.

It follows a London conference last December, at which Afghanistan's Western partners pledged billions of dollars in return for promises from President Hamid Karzai to clean up corruption and introduce good governance.

"Afghanistan's problems cannot be solved without stronger governance and respect for the rule of law," Ashton said.

"The key challenges are to extend the Government's authority into the provinces, and to stamp out the culture of impunity and corruption that undermine the whole governance and development process," she said.

Ashton will meet with Karzai, Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul and United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon on the margins of the conference, her office said.

A decision on releasing EU aid, worth 200 million euros a year for the next three years, would be made in September, the EU's envoy in Afghanistan Vygaudas Usackas said last week.