KABUL (SW): Afghanistan and the United States inked a pact on Monday that would see Washington paying a grant worth $ 800 million to the Kabul government in the next four years.
Minister of Finance Hakimi, the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan P. Michael McKinley, and the USAID Mission Director William Hammink signed the Memorandum of Understanding for the New Development Partnership.
Afghan Minister of Finance Hakimi, the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan P. Michael McKinley, and the USAID Mission Director William Hammink signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the New Development Partnership.
The New Development Partnership reflects the strategic importance of the U.S.-Afghanistan relationship and recognizes a new era of development cooperation between our governments, the US Embassy said. This initiative delivers on the commitment made during Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s March visit to Washington during which President Barack Obama pledged to support the Afghan National Unity Government’s efforts to achieve its own ambitious reform agenda, it added.
Eklil Hakimi thanked the U.S. for its generous support with the New Development Partnership, under which the U.S. will provide up to $800 million to Afghanistan in budget assistance to maintain and build on the development gains made over the last 13 years.
“This grant would be used via the government keeping the priorities and needs in mind”, he said. The minister said first grant of $ 100 million would land in the government’s kitty in the next few days followed by another similar grant this year.
The grant has been linked to counter corruption measures, efforts to eradicate poverty and ensure financial viability.
U.S. Ambassador P. Michael McKinley remarked that the New Development Partnership represents a fundamental transformation in the nature of development cooperation between our two countries. “It empowers Afghan solutions to Afghan challenges, by incentivizing and rewarding Afghan successes”, he said.
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