New Afghan ambassador says he's not seeking mission extension
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 | 10:01 PM ET
CBC News
Afghanistan's new ambassador to Canada said his agenda does not include trying to keep Canadian troops in his country past the 2011 deadline set by the federal government.
"The way the Afghan people see this is to emphasize the engagement in principle," said Jawed Ludin, who officially began his five-year posting to Ottawa on Tuesday.
"The form of that engagement, the nature of that engagement, is for the Canadian people to decide."
Ludin said Afghanistan will be grateful for whatever role Canada plays and praised the contribution of Canadian troops.
There has been speculation that Canada may be asked by the U.S. or NATO to extend its combat mission.
On Tuesday Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon reiterated that Canada will not stay past the deadline. Parliament voted in 2008 to set 2011 as an end date to its combat mission in Afghanistan.
Ludin, who was one of four new ambassadors who presented their credentials to Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean on Tuesday, said it was an honour to be based in Canada, representing Afghanistan. He said part of his role will be convincing Canadians that their sacrifices and contributions have been worth it.
"They have paid a tremendous amount in treasure and in blood, and I think this is a responsibility of the Afghans to tell the Canadian people why they are — and their government and their army is — in Afghanistan.
In 2003, Ludin returned from exile to the Afghan capital, Kabul, where he began work as a spokesman then as chief of staff to President Hamid Karzai. He later became Karzai's chief of staff, managing his office and helping in his relations with foreign leaders and organizations like the United Nations and NATO.
