Mr. President,

First of all, I would like to thank the Russian Mission for arranging this public meeting. I also wish to thank Mr. Guehenno and Mr. Costa for their detailed briefings. We are glad to note that with the support and assistance from the international community, the Afghan Transitional Administration headed by President Karzai has made unremitting efforts to reach the goals set in the Bonn Agreement. Afghanistan is now preparing for the Constitutional Loya Jirga to be held in October this year. We hope that the new constitution will serve to reinforce ethnic unity, social justice, rule of law and national stability.

At present, security is still an issue of concern in some places in Afghanistan. This has been fully shown by the suicidal bomb attacks against the ISAF not long ago. The international community should adopt feasible measures to assist the Transitional Administration in its endeavor to build the army and police forces and complete DDR program at an early date. We would like to urge various parties in Afghanistan to engage in national reconciliation in all sincerity, thus contributing to peace and reconstruction of their own country.

Mr. President,
Drugs are an enemy for the entire human race and the drug issue has been linked closely with such organized transnational crimes as terrorism, money laundering and human trafficking. The drug problem in Afghanistan has seriously affected the country's stability and economic development and has become an increasingly unstable factor in the region. To curb drug production and crack down drug smuggling is the common objective for Afghanistan and other countries in the region as well as the entire international community. The Chinese Government appreciates the measures adopted by the Transitional Administration to root out the drug problem and the positive role played by UNAMA, UNODC, the United Kingdom and France in this regard. We are in favor of taking timely actions to formulate international strategy against Afghan drug threat and conduct genuine international cooperation in the related areas under the leadership of the United Nations. In order to sever the drug source and effectively solve the drug issue, we believe that efforts should be made to develop substitute crops and improve rural economic and social environment so that farmers will acquire income through legal means and free themselves from their dependence on drug production. The international community should increase input to assist the Transitional Administration in policy making and fund allocation in this area.

During Vice President Shahrani's recent visit to China, the two sides signed a number of agreements including the one on economic and technological cooperation. We are now speeding up the construction of Parwan Irrigation Project and Kabul Republic Hospital Project. China will continue to cooperate with various parties and work together for peace and reconstruction in Afghanistan.

Mr. President,
I wish to thank you for your generous appraisal of my work with the Security Council. Indeed, this will be the last time that I speak in this chamber as the Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations. I wish to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to all the delegates, permanent missions and colleagues of the secretariat for their support and cooperation during my years of service here. While I am leaving, you, my colleagues, will continue to work hard and face new challenges and member states' higher expectations for the United Nations and the Security Council. I wish all of you even greater achievements and good luck.

Thank you, Mr. President.