Afghan donors conference opens

The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, said today that his country has made "great strides towards peace, stability and democracy" at the opening of a special donors conference in London.

"We owe our success to the resilience and unfailing determination of the Afghan people as well as the generous support of the international community. Together, we have achieved much," Mr Karzai told representatives from nearly 70 nations and international bodies.

"Today, Afghanistan has a constitution, an elected president and an elected parliament. We are proud that women make up more than a quarter of the seats," he said, though he also cautioned that major challenges still lay ahead.

"The challenges of terrorism and narcotics present the gravest of threats ... terrorism no longer rules Afghanistan but it continues to be a threat to the peace and security of our people."

Tony Blair repeated his commitment to the people of Afghanistan, saying that the international community was determined to ensure the country had a "stable and prosperous future".

Sitting next to Mr Karzai, and the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, Mr Blair said Britain would give £500m over three years to help Afghanistan in the "tremendous challenge that it faces".

"But we must also remember that tremendous progress has been made not only in terms of its economy and that living standards have risen, but also the progress in terms of liberty and freedom," he said.

The prime minister also echoed Mr Karzai's concerns for the future, admitting the country continued to face major problems including the opium trade and those "who want to see Afghanistan return to extremism and fanaticism".

During recent months, suicide bombings have become prevalent in the divided country, which provides 87% of the world's heroin.

Mr Karzai said would work to reduce corruption and red tape and to foster a business community. He said a modern state depended on having a skilled and modern work force and appealed for international help to achieve that aim.

The US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, said the US was pledging $1.1bn over the next year.

"The transformation of Afghanistan is remarkable, but incomplete," Ms Rice said in opening remarks. "And it is essential that we all increase our support for the Afghan people."

The two-day conference will see the launch of the "Afghan compact", a framework for international engagement with Afghanistan over the next five years. The Afghan government will also present its strategy on development, security, the drugs trade and good governance. The conference comes as Nato prepares to expand its role in Afghanistan with the deployment of an extra 6,000 troops, many of them from Britain.

The new contingent will move into the volatile south of the country where US troops have been operating, allowing Washington to reduce troop numbers in Afghanistan.

Aid experts warn that the country is "still a failed state in many respects".

President Karzai's election, a new constitution and the registration of 12.5 million people to vote have given "some cause for hope", according to Christian Aid.

However, "the rule of law is a pipe dream. Afghans daily face violence and death at the hands of bandits and warlords", said spokesman Dominic Nutt.

"More Afghans and aid workers were murdered last year than ever before. It is vital, therefore, that peacekeepers are sent in adequate numbers and the police and judiciary are supported so that they can end the reign if impunity. Afghans want to see universal justice."