KABUL, July 22 (Pajhwok Afghan News): Afghanistan's major creditors have written off $10.4 billion in debt, a further major reduction in the country's debt in the Paris Club, finance ministry spokesman said on Saturday.Aziz Shams told Pajhwok Afghan News US, Russia and Germany canceled their debt what he said was $10.4 billion. US had $108 million and Germany 40 million debt on Afghanistan.
Paris club played a mediator role between in-debt and creditor countries. The U.S. State Department said on July 21 that the agreement means that 92 percent of Afghanistan's total debt to the three Paris Club creditors -- Germany, Russia and the United States has now been written off.
Finance Minister Anwarulhaq had attended the Paris Club, he added. He said besides discussing major creditors of the Paris club US, Russia and Germany, the attendants discussed on canceling the debts provided by World Bank, Asian Bank in the last four years, but he said this discussion did get finalized. Afghanistan had received over 600 million US dollar as debt from different donor, he contended.
Shams said Russia had claimed it had $10.5 billion payable debt on Afghanistan while the documents in hand with the Afghanistan government show the Russian debt was only $9.5 billion dollar. He also said Afghanistan insisted on not paying these money and it also did not accept the money as debt on Afghanistan and Afghanistan terms it as expenses of former Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Russian government is asking for payment of debts while Afghan people are calling them as inheritors of Former Soviet Union and demanded Russians to pay compensation for the devastation this country inflicted in Afghanistan during its invasion on central Asian country.
| I think it's a great idea for them to stiff the Russians. Heh. |