By IANS
New York : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has voiced its deep concern over the continuing violence in Afghanistan, hindering development and posing threats to innocent civilians, aid workers and diplomats, WAM news agency reported Thursday.
“The UAE is deeply concerned at the increasing threat of violence which continues to impede political reconciliation and development efforts made in Afghanistan,” Ahmed Al Jarman, UAE’s permanent envoy to the UN, told the UN Security Council Wednesday.
“The violence has prevented people in more than 36 (Afghan) provinces from accessing humanitarian assistance,” Al Jarman told the Council discussing the Afghan situation.
The envoy noted that besides innocent civilians, UN personnel, humanitarian workers, and members of diplomatic missions face constant threat to terrorist violence.
He welcomed the appointment of the former Algerian foreign minister Lakhdar Brahimi as the chief of the independent panel on the safety and security of UN personnel and its offices around the world.
He also stressed the importance of helping Kabul achieve a national reconciliation and consolidate its authority over all parts of the country.
“We emphasize the importance of focusing on the priorities of the national development strategy of Afghanistan and its enforcement mechanisms in order to achieve its goals, especially those concerning the advancement of peace, development, reconstruction and stability in this friendly country,” the envoy said.