Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-05-10-Speech-2-097"
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"en.20050510.13.2-097"2
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"Ladies and gentlemen, we shall begin our sitting dedicated to the official visit of the President of Afghanistan, Mr Hamid Karzai.
which means that we welcome President Karzai to the European Parliament.
Mr President, this Parliament, like the rest of the world, has followed very closely the dramatic events in your country over the last quarter of a century. Few countries have had such a turbulent history as yours: the Soviet occupation, the civil war, the international military intervention following the attacks of 11 September and now the difficult process of transition to democracy in a country which has suffered so much and which has seen its social, economic and political structures profoundly transformed.
Mr President, we wish to acknowledge your solid leadership, which is helping to develop this embryonic democracy, initially in a provisional capacity and now as democratically elected President of Afghanistan. We also acknowledge the great personal risks you and your colleagues in government have faced.
We are all aware that there is a long way to go. Sometimes the television cameras bring us harrowing images to remind us what is happening, but sometimes there are no cameras there. The reality remains however; the conscientious, slow and methodical reconstruction of a country devastated by decades of war is not as attractive to the media as the war itself. We in the Western world understand the importance of the impact of the big event when compared to everyday lives and events, which are only of importance when the media record them in a striking manner.
We also know that democracy cannot be consolidated overnight, that societies cannot be changed by decree, that it is one thing to guarantee the rights of women in a constitution, for example, but that it is quite another to ensure that these rights are respected in the remotest parts of the country. We are also aware of your commitment to equal rights for women, but you will also understand that, when specific events revive our consciences, concern arises. Let us hope to use the indignation this causes to increase our commitment to the task of democratic reform and progress in your country. I am sure that you too will mention this in your speech. We wish to offer you our commitment to this difficult process of transition. We will do everything we can to help you to create a stable and democratic country.
This House, therefore, Mr President, is keenly awaiting the Parliamentary elections of next September and, as we have mentioned to you previously, this Parliament should seriously consider the possibility of sending a delegation to assess the current situation before the elections take place and then to send observers to monitor them on the ground.
We trust, Mr President, that, following the elections, we will be able to develop close interparliamentary relations, precisely because we believe that the European Union and Afghanistan will make their great potential for friendship and cooperation a reality. For all of these reasons and in view of the importance of the country you represent, it is a pleasure for me and an honour for this Parliament to welcome you and offer you the floor."@en1
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"Scharele President Karzai, amadané schoma ra bâ Párlemané Europa khosh amdadid megoyém"1
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