Representatives from more than 60 nations and international organizations on Tuesday launched the five-year Afghanistan Compact together with Afghanistan, assuring continued high-level global support for Afghanistan over the coming years.

"This week's London Conference on Afghanistan demonstrates how strongly the international community remains committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan in the long term," British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told reporters in London after the launch of the compact, which is a blueprint for the next stage of Afghanistan's rebuilding and the successor to the Bonn process which ended with the inauguration of an elected parliament and provincial councils in December.

"The Afghanistan Compact is recognition of our joint determination to see that the next stage of nation building succeeds," Straw said at a joint press conference with Afghan President Karzai and UN Secretary General Kofi Anna.

Karzai said, "with this Compact and the plan..., the Government and people of Afghanistan move forward to the next stage of our rebuilding."

As the international community work to implement this plan, the United Nations are ready to assist Afghanistan, said Annan.

The Afghanistan Compact sets out goals and timelines in security, governance and human rights, and social and economic development. It also embodies a commitment to tackling the most difficult issues currently facing Afghanistan, including illegal narcotics.

The Compact is being underpinned on the Afghan side by a national plan - the interim Afghan National Development Strategy ( iANDS) - which was also unveiled on Tuesday.

Both the Compact and the iANDS will help ensure Afghanistan meets its longer term development objectives.

The conference on 31 January and 1 February was hosted by Britain, and co-chaired by Afghanistan and the UN.

Source: Xinhua