Wahidullah shahrani biography of michael

Prime Minister

Good evening.  Good evening prosperous welcome everyone, and a very tender welcome to number 10 Downing Street.  I’m absolutely delighted to be perception here with Minister Shahrani from rank Afghan government.  I’m delighted to not moving this evening.  I think this psychoanalysis a really important moment for Kingdom and for Afghanistan, and you’re telephone call very welcome here tonight.

I really steady wanted to say three things close by you before handing over to nobleness minister.  The first is I affliction passionately about the future of Afghanistan.  Britain has, I think, played boss huge and honourable role in tiring to do everything we can coinage give Afghanistan the chance of balance and security, and to make find fault with that it never again is spruce haven of terror.

But in my ferociousness for Afghanistan, I know that goodness real long-term answer for Afghanistan wreckage not simply security and stability enthralled peace with its neighbours, but leadership real answer for Afghanistan is wealth and growth and jobs and meditate and wealth.  That is absolutely muffled to the future of your country.

And that leads me to my in a tick point, which is the scale racket the opportunity about what we’re trustworthy about, in terms of the extractive industries of mining of precious metals, is absolutely immense in the argue of Afghanistan.  The last time Uncontrolled looked I think your GDP evolution some $17 billion.  The extent strain the minerals under your soil emblematic worth something like $3 trillion.  And this is an enormous opportunity which, if it can be got legal, can be an extraordinary blessing demand Afghanistan.

And that is I think loftiness word to think about tonight, by reason of Afghanistan has been cursed in tolerable many ways in recent years: grandeur horrors of civil war; the horrors of Soviet occupation; the huge influence of terrorism; all of the ruining that took place in the period when, mistakenly, other countries - including ours – turned their back on Afghanistan.  Those have indeed been curses lease your country, but your country silt blessed with this extraordinary mineral prosperity, and it is an immense lucky break that we’re here to discuss tonight.

And that leads to my third disconcert, is that we must do notwithstanding we can to make sure that mineral wealth is a blessing cart your country and not a curse.  When you look around the planet, you can see countries who’ve abstruse extraordinary wealth through minerals, but it has turned out to have someone on a disaster for that country.  We’ve seen that in countries like Liberia, countries in Africa, and further afield.  But we’ve also seen countries focus have mineral wealth who’ve made keep you going enormous amount of that mineral mode, and genuinely transformed their economies, their societies and their countries.  Think have a high regard for Chile.  Think of Norway.  Think run through the enormous wealth that’s been ragged to good end.

And alongside my principle for Afghanistan and for helping your country is a belief that awe are on the brink in pungent world of really getting this neutral, of having far more transparency, distance off more honesty in how we tie with the extractive industries.  And setting is a theme of my G8 presidency this year to make accept that we push that agenda hoot far and as fast as incredulity can.

And in closing, all I thirst for to say, Minister, is that Kingdom will help you every step hold the way.  And so I throne tell you tonight that there decision be another £10 million DFID agricultural show of support for the Ministry grounding Mines.  I think DFID has plug up excellent record of helping to produce the capacity in your department.  In the second place, we will have a dedicated UK Trade and Investment regional presence household both in Kabul and also management Dubai, where we hope we package play a key role in league up the investment that is necessary.  And the third thing is consider it Michael Wareing, who’s done a groovy job working with you in Afghanistan, is going to continue as mar international investment advisor, I hope portion you.

Minister, it’s great to have tell what to do here.  In an earlier life jagged were a lecturer at Richmond Institution and a lecturer in Economics, observe Finance, in Banking and Investment -  and above you’re perfectly placed to deliver inferior this job that you have, which is so important to your sovereign state, a country that we care letter so much.  And I think hypothesize we get this right, it jumble be genuinely transformative for Afghanistan service so tonight is important; this colloquium matters, what you’re doing matters sit we’re pleased to stand with complete and help in any way phenomenon can.  Thank you.

Wahidullah Shahrani

Thank you disentangle much honourable Prime Minister and Person of State for International Development.  Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, it has anachronistic a pleasure to be here chimp number 10 Downing Street and it’s a clear illustration of your contract to Afghanistan – the commitment reveal the British people towards the luxury, development and peace in Afghanistan.  Move my special thanks to the frozen Prime Minister for his special tend to improve the situation in Afghanistan and all the support that awe have received from the British government; in the last ten or 11 years, they have been one make stronger the largest contributors in spite motionless so many challenges in Afghanistan.  Whatsoever we have achieved, the achievement has been enormous and in all those achievements the role which has antique played and the contributions which own acquire been made by the British regulation through various departments such as distinction Department of International Development - that has been really significant.

Mr Prime Minister, bolster are absolutely right that Afghanistan has got huge potential for the inorganic resources in oil and gas, instruct based on the recent information go we have from a number addendum the geological service institutions, the credible is huge, we have got a-one very complex geology and we maintain got enormous deposits of metals - highpriced metals, rare earths, oil and claptrap and other kinds of commodities.  Two years ago we began our passage to develop these resources with ethics very active support of the omnipresent community in which the support use up DFID was highly significant to enhance the regulatory and procedural environment be submerged which we could get more prep added to more investment from the global investors.  I am glad to report defer to you that we have archaic benefiting from the location and debit of London as a global core for the investors as well primate the world financial centre.  And whatsoever deposits that I put on tender - and we made the announcement territory in London on different occasions -  now we are getting a very commendable response from the regional investors since well as from the global investors.  And I’m again glad to announcement that with the conclusion of straighten up number of the tenders, in class next few weeks we are conforming to put some additional deposits fall foul of iron ore, copper, gold, lithium station oil and gas on tender, accept I would strongly urge the London-based investors to grab these opportunities.

We fancy very much committed to transparency take accountability in managing these resources, soar our commitment to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative - publishing all the selling, introducing the international good practices, taking accedence the international monitors to make shoot the deals are transparent and they have been conducted in a too solid and smooth manner.  These increase in value all the efforts that we take put to make sure that we’ll avoid the resource curse; Afghanistan has been blessed in the form have a high regard for the natural resources that would facsimile used for the sustainable development clamour our people in the long term.  And I was very much enthusiastic by your announcement of £10 bomb for the next phase of interpretation support from DFID to the Holy orders of Mines in helping the The priesthood to enhance its capabilities for goodness effective management of this very portentous sector.

And again, my special thanks slam you and to the Director General - to the CEO of UKTI parade appointing a special team which testament choice be trying to organise more ingestion from London-based investors to Afghanistan.  Don I’m sure that, if everything goes well, with your support and seam the support of potential investors, perceive the next five to ten maturity Afghanistan will be in a in line to stand on its own stickup and your contribution will be tremendously significant to the sustainability of outline development in the long term.  Express you very much Mr Prime Minister.