Afghan government has approved a five-year national development strategy called "Afghanistan Compact for next five years" ahead of donors' conference in London being held by the end of the month, Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah told newsmen Monday.

"The Afghanistan Compact will layout the framework for continued international engagement with Afghanistan over the next five years," he told journalists at a joint press conference attended by Jean Arnault the special envoy of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and British ambassador to Afghanistan Rosalind Marsden.

The two-day conference with the participation of over 70 countries and international agencies inaugurated on January 31 will be chaired by President Hamid Karzai, head of world body Kofi Annan and the host country's Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Admitting in challenges ahead particularly in the field of security and reconstruction, the Afghan foreign minister was optimistic about the new commitment of the world towards the post- Taliban central Asian state.

"Despite Afghanistan's remarkable progress over the last four years, huge challenges still remain to be addressed. The Afghan Compact sets a new framework for cooperation between Afghanistan and international community," an optimistic Abdullah said.

"With continued international commitment we are confident that we will succeed in building on the progress we have already made," Afghan foreign minister noted.

Focusing on the vital areas, the ambitious compact covers the field of security, good governance including human rights and the rule of law as well as social and economic development in the war- ravaged country.

The hopeful Abdullah was also of the view that some countries would pledge new financial commitment towards rebuilding Afghanistan.

Speaking at the conference Jean Arnault as well as the British ambassador hoped for continued international assistance to Afghanistan.

"The compact is a remarkable document. It contains some key provisions on Afghan leadership, capacity building for people and institutions, fairness and transparency aimed at making sure that international assistance to Afghanistan is not only maintained but further improved," Aranult asserted.

"The United Kingdom hopes that this conference will lay a firm foundation for the continued development of a democratic and prosperous Afghanistan," ambassador Marsden said.

Earlier the International community at Tokyo and Berlin conferences held months after the fall of Taliban regime in 2002 and 2004 respectively had committed some 12 billion U.S. dollars to the war-battered Afghanistan.

The London conference is taking place amid increasing Taliban- linked militancy as the insurgents attacks have claimed the lives of more than 30 and injured some 50 others since the beginning of this year.

Source: Xinhua