FCO in Action

Afghan MPs visit to the UK, 13-15 November 2007

A group of Afghan MPs visited the UK in November 2007On 13th November 2007 a delegation of nine Afghan parliamentarians arrived in the UK for a two-day FCO-sponsored visit. The delegation comprised of eight MPs from the Wolesi Jirga (or Lower House) and two MPs from the Mishrano Jirga (Upper House). A comprehensive programme was in store in which the MPs met, among others:

  • Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells, FCO and Department for International Development (DfID) officials at an FCO hosted lunch - Foreign & Commonwealth Office, King Charles Street.
  • Lord Malloch-Brown - FCO Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN - Foreign & Commonwealth Office, King Charles Street.
  • House of Commons Defence and International Development Committees - Portcullis House.
  • The Afghan Ambassador to London and his team for an Embassy hosted lunch - Embassy of Afghanistan, Princes Gate.
  • Roberta Blackman-Woods MP and her All-Party Parliamentary Group on Afghanistan, plus the British Agencies Afghanistan Group for a Roundtable discussion on Afghanistan - House of Commons.


Aims

Minister Kim Howells hosts the Afghan MPs for lunch, 13 November 2007The aim of the visit was to:

  • help the MPs gain a better understanding of our democratic processes and international standards in civil society.
  • reinforce to the MPs our commitment to Afghanistan, yet manage their expectations so that they can communicate accurately our aims to their domestic environment.
  • demonstrate to UK MPs and members of civil society what the UK and international partners have already achieved in Afghanistan, and what remains to be done.


NATO

The MPs were in Europe as part of a NATO-sponsored visit to NATO HQ, Brussels. The NATO visit was part of a regular programme run by NATO HQ to demystify NATO to Afghan opinion formers and key-decision makers.