Germany to cancel all debt owed by Afghanistan

Germany will cancel all debt owed to it by Afghanistan, a spokesman for the country's Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul said Wednesday.

Germany has begun to cancel the debt owed by Afghanistan, which amounts to 44 million U.S. dollars, recognizing the great progress Afghanistan has made to keep social stability, the spokesman said.

The spokesman added that Wieczorek-Zeul made the promise at an international conference held last week in London on Afghan issues. In 2002, Germany cancelled a 35-million-dollar debt owed by Afghanistan.

Afghanistan can use the money to eliminate poverty, but Germany will not intervene with the specific use of the money, the spokesman added.

In addition, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack announced on Tuesday his country's cancellation of Afghanistan's approximately 108 million dollars debt.

Source: Xinhua