Karamanou (PSE). – (EL) Mr President, I too have had the unique
experience of visiting Afghanistan and seeing the situation with my own eyes.
The first thing that needs to be said is that our staff are doing an excellent
job, as you yourself said, Commissioner, and the European Union has a high
profile there. However, a year after Bonn, I think coordination is a serious problem,
both in the provision and distribution of aid and, more to the point, the
policy being applied. By which I mean that the European Union is following one
political tack and supporting a strong central administration in Afghanistan,
while the United States are taking a different approach and sticking to their
favourite tactic of divide and rule from the days of the Taliban and the
Mujahedin by backing the warlords, who they seem to think have taken their
side. Mr Morillon and Mr Sakellariou said likewise. Unfortunately, the
upshot of this divisive western policy is that entire areas are beyond the
control of the central administration and this is precisely what caused the
recent surge in the production of opium, which accounted for 70% of world
production in 2002.
Women, of course,
are still in a dire situation in all sectors. Blue ghosts continue to waft
round the streets of Kabul, with few women daring to risk their lives by taking
off their burka. The Taliban may have lost power, but their spirit still haunts
Afghanistan. In my opinion, there can be no economic or social progress as long
as a culture of violence, religious fanaticism and misogyny reigns in
Afghanistan. 98% of women are illiterate and economically dependent and 99%
give birth without medical assistance. This sort of soil provides an ideal
breeding ground for extremist movements such as the Taliban.
I think the Greek
Presidency, Mr President-in-Office, could do a great deal to help by proposing
that a European fund be set up and a line included in the 2004 budget
especially for women in Afghanistan. This fund could be used to finance new
infrastructures to integrate women into public life. I also suggest,
Commissioner, that we should invite President Karzai to Strasbourg to speak
before a plenary session of the European Parliament.