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promised continued support to Afghanistan after combat troops from NATO in 2014

an international conference in Bonn has promised continued support to Afghanistan after the withdrawal of combat troops from NATO in 2014. But community organizations and Afghan aid agencies said that the democratic gains of the last decade were already under the threat of cuts in the budgets of Western aid.

The conference - which comes exactly a decade after an international agreement in Bonn to recognize the government of Hamid Karzai and the creation of a NATO-led force for security - have agreed to provide a financial assistance to the Afghan government until 2024, when the International Monetary Fund predicted that the country will become self-sufficient in most of its mineral wealth income.

The German Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, told the conference: "We sent a clear message to the people of Afghanistan: .. We are not on your own We do not allow in trouble "

"The United States intends to stay the course with our friends in Afghanistan," said U. S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, adding that the U.S. commitment was to "long term." "We will be with you to make the tough decisions that are necessary for their future."

But Clinton said that in exchange for financial support, the Afghans had to respect its commitments "in the difficult decisions to accept reform, lead in their own defense and strengthening of inclusive democracy rooted in the rule of law. "

Wazhma Frogh, an activist of the Afghan Women's Network, thanked the support promised, saying. "For many people it's just another conference on Afghanistan, but Afghans on the ground is more important people are afraid of losing their rights to have won so far."

Britain is committed to maintaining its development assistance for Afghanistan at the current level of £ 178 000 000 a year. William Hague, said the government would also talk about their allies in the coming months on the amounts spent on additional assistance to support the Afghan security forces after 2014.

"The conference has expanded the understanding of the world that our support will always be necessary. No one should think to move away after 2014, if the Western nations of NATO or Arab countries, "said Secretary of Foreign Affairs.