The USD5 billion aid that Japan promised to Afghanistan over the next five years will be spent primarily on infrastructure, agriculture, the training of the local police force and reintegration of Taliban fighters into their villages, Japan’s ambassador to Kabul said.
“We want to step up our efforts and we have worked for five years on various fields,” Ambassador Shigeyuki Hiroki told Reuters. “It is a good time to provide massive investment on infrastructure and agriculture so that the path for transition is smoother.”
Japan first outlined this five-year aid package for Afghanistan in 2009.
>> Japan Drafts Aid Package for Afghanistan
Hiroki shared that bulk of the assistance will be invested in the country’s agriculture sector through irrigation projects and initiatives to increase rice and wheat production.
Japan will also support the development of the Afghan police force, Hiroki said. He explained that Japan will deploy police trainers to Turkey in 2011 as part of NATO’s training program for the Afghan police.
Japan has also been supporting NATO’s efforts to create a program that will reintegrate Taliban fighters back into mainstream society. Hiroki said the project is still in its initial stages but fits well with Japan’s plan to develop rural communities in Afghanistan.