President Hamid Karzai Meets with President George W. Bush at World Economic Forum for the Middle East
President Hamid Karzai met with President George W. Bush on May 17, 2008 at the World Economic Forum for the Middle East meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where they discussed a variety of issues including security and reconstruction in Afghanistan.
One of the main issues President Karzai raised was the upcoming Paris Donor’s Conference set for June 12, where Afghanistan will outline its progress in reconstruction and detail its pending needs, including additional commitments of aid from the international community. President Karzai specifically addressed Afghanistan’s need for aid to further develop its agricultural sector, stating during a press conference, “We’ll be going to Paris to ask for more help for Afghanistan’s agriculture, so that Afghanistan can become self-sufficient in agriculture, and also be an exporter to the rest of the world.”
President Karzai also thanked President Bush for his continuing commitment to the reconstruction of Afghanistan. “For the first time, after 30 years, were able to give diplomas to the graduates of Afghanistan's universities, the medical colleges, economics, law and all that,” stated President Karzai. “That would have not been possible without your help and the help of the rest of the world.”
