Afghan official calls on new administration to seize development opportunities

A senior Afghan official on Monday called on the country's new administration led by the new president to be chosen in the June 14 run-off election to seize the country's advantages to boost socioeconomic development.

Afghanistan enjoys a highly unique convergence of factors that it could potentially seize to develop despite serious security challenges that clearly remain, said Sultan Ahmad Baheen, director general of the Third Political Department of the Afghan Foreign Ministry.

Addressing an international seminar on South Asia development in Hong Kong, Baheen highlighted the development potential that Afghanistan has -- the militarily, diplomatic and financial contribution of the international community, Afghanistan's democratic political institutions, an astonishing resources endowment worth some 3 trillion U.S. dollars, nutrient-rich soils for significant agricultural output, and a youthful labor force ( aged 0-25) of some 23 million.

"This array of external and internal advantages and its very timing is an opportunity that many other developing states could only dream of," said Baheen, who used to serve as Afghan Ambassador to China for nearly four years.

Afghanistan will have to quickly embrace the opportunities with both hands if it wants to develop, and circumvent looming social disorder, he said, warning "There is a convergence of factors that will most likely not return for generations."

If the new administration lacks the political determination and fails to seize the incredible advantages the country has, and create closer economic ties with its immediate and extended neighbors, Afghanistan will continue to disappoint; and decades hence Afghans themselves will only look back and lament, he said.

More than a dozen years after the arrival of international forces, Afghanistan remains a burden for the international community; and even more so for South and Central Asia.

As the new president is expected to emerge a couple of days later, the day is approaching when Afghanistan will have to stand on its own.

To do that, said Baheen, Afghanistan will need to adapt to the dynamics and rules of globalization. The international community and incumbent administration have made a start to this adaptation process. "The new administration will have to continue it with stronger commitment and at a faster pace. It has no pretexts to do otherwise," he added.