Leading donor group to meet interim administration

Representatives from at least three nations comprising the 16 member Afghan Support Group (ASG) will meet with the new Afghan interim administration in Kabul this week, a Norwegian diplomat told IRIN on Sunday. "The main point of the meeting is to explain what we do to the Afghan leaders and listen to what they have to say," Norwegian Charge d'Affaires in Kabul, Peter Raeder said on Sunday. Norway currently holds the presidency of the ASG and this is the first meeting to be held in Kabul by the donor body, which provides a large chunk of Afghanistan's aid. The gathering, which Raeder described as a "troika plus meeting" would be attended by ASG representatives from Germany, the previous holders of the presidency, as well as Japan. Afghan Foreign Minister, Abdullah Abdullah will lead the administration's delegation. "We are hoping that the Afghans will give us an indication of what they feel are the main priorities so that the money can be channelled there," Raeder explained. The UN estimates that some 6 million people, nearly a third of the population, are in desperate need of aid. Speaking about the new authority, he said: "We now have increased cooperation, especially over the last few months which makes things easier." Last year the donor body pledged more than US $200 million. Since the UN appeal for Afghanistan was launched after 11 September, there has been concern that cash pledged has not been received in hand. "There are delays in the banking system," Raeder said, adding that it would take time to come through and that some projects could be run on credit. "We do hope some money from donor countries had come through as we know salaries need to be paid," he said, commenting on the immediate need for the interim government to pay the salaries of civil servants, doctors and nurses. Raeder said that the ASG would now be meeting every month, but added that their discussions may not always be in Afghanistan as they were now.