Japanese envoy meets new government

The Japanese Prime Minister's special representative for Afghanistan, Sadako Ogata, described the country as having "real opportunities" during a visit to the capital Kabul. "The future of the country lies with the Afghan people," Ogata told IRIN in Kabul on Thursday.

The visiting former UN official held meetings with the leader of the Afghan interim administration, Hamid Karzai and with Afghan ministers in preparation for the second meeting on reconstruction on Afghanistan due to take place in Tokyo on 21-22 January. The meeting will be chaired by Ogata herself.

Speaking to reporters in Kabul on Thursday, Ogata said: "Mr Karzai expressed strong commitment on the reconstruction of the country....and I look forward to welcoming him in Tokyo." She added that Karzai said his top priorities were to enhance the capacity of the interim administration and ensure security.

Ogata stressed that the rebuilding process was an "enormous challenge", but that the time was right for what she described as a seamless transition. When asked how much it would cost to rebuild Afghanistan she said: "We are waiting for the World Bank and Asian Development Bank's assessment before we can say anything on this."

During her stay in Kabul, Ogata also visited the nearby Shomali plains where she said 109 families were on their way back to their villages, symbolic of the fact that people wanted to return to their homes. She then visited the Afghan national broadcasting organisation where she said she was amazed to find that all the equipment was intact.

The visiting Japanese dignitary hoped the Tokyo meeting would also encourage pledges from donors, as well as a positive outcome on reconstruction for Afghanistan. "I'm very hopeful that Afghanistan can be rebuilt into a strong nation," she added. Ogata is due to visit the western province of Herat on Friday to see how internally displaced people in the region are coping.