Secretary of State Colin L. Powell Congratulates the Afghan People on the Occasion of Their New Year

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell congratulates the people of Afghanistan on the occasion of their New Year, Naw Ruz, and the start of Afghan Spring.

This has been a good year for Afghanistan, and the credit goes to the strong leadership of President Karzai and his team, the resilience of the Afghan spirit and the generous support of the American people and our friends in the International community.

The Afghan people are enjoying newfound freedoms and for the first time in decades the country is largely at peace. As evidence of the new spirit of hope in Afghanistan, over 2.5 million refugees and internally displaced persons have returned to their homes over the past year. The historic Loya Jirga last June, which selected President Karzai to lead Afghanistan, demonstrated that Afghan leaders are committed to building a democratic, constitutional government. Last fall the Afghan government successfully introduced a new currency.

Education and health services have improved, with the repair of more than 250 schools and 70 hospitals and clinics. Over four million children were vaccinated against measles and over 3 million boys and girls attended school.

New economic opportunities have also opened up. The World Bank estimates that the Afghan economy grew by ten percent last year, and the streets and markets of Afghanistan are bustling with new commercial activities and foreign investors are making their first inroads with the signing of an agreement to build a Hyatt hotel.

There is much to build on, but there is much that remains to be done. As we look to the New Year in Afghanistan, the United States pledges its continued support. At the recent donors conference in Brussels the United States signaled that it intends to provide $820 million in assistance in the current fiscal year, up from $569 million last year. President Bush has made clear that no matter what obligations the United States must fulfill elsewhere, we will stay the course in Afghanistan.