For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 10, 2002
President Bush Welcomes Highway Construction in Afghanistan
Statement by the Deputy Press Secretary
President Bush welcomes the start of construction today on the
Kabul-Kandahar-Herat highway, Afghanistan's main transportation
artery. The U.S.-Japanese-Saudi Arabian-Afghan partnership to build
this road is part of a comprehensive, multi-billion dollar
international reconstruction effort for Afghanistan. The road is a
tangible example of the long-term commitment of the international
community to Afghanistan.
The United States, Japan, and Saudi Arabia agreed in September to
work together on the road in partnership with the Afghan government,
pledging $180 million dollars toward the effort. The United States
pledge includes funding for de-mining efforts along the highway to be
carried out by the United Nations Mine Action Center. The road project
is an important effort to help the Afghan people provide a better
future for their country. At the same time, this road, along with
others that will connect Afghanistan to its neighbors can set the stage
for a complete transportation system that will integrate the country,
increase trade, and establish links through Afghanistan from the Indian
Ocean to Central Asia and along the "Silk Road", bridging East and
West.
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