EU to increase support for S Asia

By Oana Lungescu
European affairs correspondent, BBC News

Many of the foreign troops in Afghanistan are from Europe

Foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg are to boost EU support for Afghanistan and Pakistan, amid growing instability.

The EU ministers will discuss what they expect from the next Afghan government after the second round of the disputed presidential election.

They will also offer more trade and aid to Pakistan to support the government as it faces a growing militant threat.

European countries contribute many soldiers to the security force in Afghanistan.

They also spend well over $1bn in aid every year.

But a paper prepared for the foreign ministers says the situation is deteriorating, and progress on political reform and governance is too slow or non-existent in some parts of the country.

In exchange for more aid, EU foreign ministers want the next Afghan government, whenever it emerges, to sign up to what diplomats call a renewed contract, including commitments to fight corruption, prevent drug cultivation and improve the plight of women and girls.

The conflict in Afghanistan, says the paper, cannot be solved without addressing the complex problems in Pakistan, but turning the page in both countries is a formidable challenge.