Italy to donate $34.3 mln to Afghanistan: ambassador

The government of Italy will contribute another 25 million euros (34.3 million U.S. dollars) to Afghanistan, Claudio Glaentzer, Italian ambassador to the country, said on Tuesday.

"We will give 25 million euros for the first six months of 2010 and this contribution will be used in different sectors, including health, agriculture and rural development," Glaentzer told reporters here at the Italian embassy.

Half this aid will be used through government budget while the other half batch will be used thorough the multilateral national programs, the ambassador added.

"Italy is committed to contribute to the sustainable improvement of living conditions of the Afghan people, to the stabilization of the country and to its social, economic and institutional development within the framework of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)," he said.

"We think the agriculture sector is extremely important for Afghan population," he said. "Our programs will provide new job opportunities and also help reintegration process in the country."

Italy has contributed 473 million euros to the rebuilding process of the war-ravaged Afghanistan since 2002.

Currently some 3,500 Italian troops have been serving in Afghanistan within the framework of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) while around 1,000 additional troops are expected to be deployed in the post-Taliban country this summer.

Source: Xinhua