§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Afghanistan High-Level Strategic Forum held in Brussels on 17 March. [108790]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe Afghanistan High-Level Strategic Forum followed on from the Afghanistan Development Forum meeting in Kabul on 13–14 March. Both meetings provided an opportunity to discuss the progress and future vision for state building in Afghanistan, as well as the long-term funding requirements for reconstruction.
Further information, including a copy of the Chairman's summary from the Brussels meeting, can be obtained from the Afghanistan Transitional Administration's website www.afghanistangov.org/mof.
§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the 2003–04 budget proposed by the Transitional Authority in Afghanistan is; how much has been promised; how much has been delivered; and whether there is a funding gap. [108791]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienAt March's Development Forum meeting in Kabul the Afghanistan Transitional Administration presented an overall National Budget 521W totalling US$2.3 billion for 2003–04. We estimate that donor contributions and domestic revenue make up about 90 per cent. of the total requirement.
Further information can be obtained from the Afghanistan Transitional Administration's website www. afghanistangov.org/mof.