Ambassadors discuss Afghanistan in Panjshir Province

 PANJSHIR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The promising security situation, economic opportunities and quality of governance were among the topics discussed at an Aug. 10 meeting between senior ranking NATO officials and government officials of Panjshir province.

Ambassador Mark Sedwill, NATO senior civilian representative in Afghanistan; Deputy Ambassador Earl Anthony "Tony" Wayne, coordinating director for Development and Economic Affairs in Afghanistan; and Thomas Gibbons, senior civilian for Regional Command East, travelled to the north-eastern province to visit Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team and talk about the future of Afghanistan in this area.

The visit began with an introduction of the PRT’s mission at Forward Operating Base Lion by Bill Martin, U.S. Department of State employee and Panjshir PRT director and U.S. Army Capt. James Morton, acting Panjshir PRT commander. After the briefing, Martin and Morton took questions from the ambassadors. Questions were about the competence of the Afghan National Police in the area, the U.S. Agency for International Development mission in the province, the current model of civilian-military integration and other issues facing Panjshir.

Panjshir Provincial Gov. Keramuddin Keram, Deputy Gov. Abdul Rahman Kabiri, Panjshir Provincial ANP Chief Gen. Mullah Saboor, various district governors and members of the Afghan media greeted the ambassadors and PRT leadership at the Provincial Government Center in the Bazarak Municipality. The group held an hour-long meeting, which was open to the press, where the governor and visiting dignitaries exchanged ideas.

“This is my fourth visit to Panjshir, but my first time since you’ve been the governor,” said Sedwill. “We have a good opportunity to discuss the success and future of Panjshir. [Wayne] and I have been seeing [Afghan President Hamid Karzai] a lot lately, and the theme we’ve discussed has been empowering the Afghan government and stepping back ourselves.”

Sedwill asked Keram where he saw Panjshir in the next three to five years. He also wanted to know if there were any pending problems that the ambassadors might be in a position to help solve.

“There are some things that make us different from other parts of Afghanistan,” said Keram, through an interpreter. “Terrorism, Taliban, drugs and corruption; we are past all of these stages. My people guarantee the security of our international partners. They don’t have to carry guns or wear protective gear. We have a close cooperation with the PRT. I’m very proud of my people and the PRT.”

“There has been $97 million spent during the PRT’s presence in Panjshir,” continued Keram. “All of the sectors have benefited from this money, but since Panjshir is a new province, it needs more assistance from the international community.”

Keram said the province needs more ANP presence to protect mountain passes in the border areas of the province. He said there are eight other provinces touching Panjshir, and three or four of them have security problems. Building ANP posts near the mountain passes with these provinces is important to maintain the current security situation.

Other issues, like the lack of a TV station to get news to the populace, were brought up by Keram. In closing, he said sometimes people in Panjshir get frustrated with the international community because all of the money goes to unsecure areas rather than those that work hard to provide security and a better future.

“Let me make a point about long-term commitment,” said Sedwill. “The international community does pay attention to areas with immediate security problems. This is a concern expressed by many of your colleagues. We hope to be able to balance those resources better so that more resources go to where things are secure.”

Wayne also talked about security and ways the international community could empower local government leaders. He asked Keram if there was anything he could do that would make the international community more effective in helping at the provincial level.

Following the meeting, the entire group drove about 30-minutes north to the Astana Guest House. There, they had a less formal meeting followed by a traditional Afghan lunch.

The group also stopped at the Bazarak Bazaar to do some shopping and talk with locals. Sedwill said it was a successful visit, and it’s important to work with the Panjshiris in the future to strengthen an already strong government.