May 22, 2007

PM visits mixed gender school in Kabul

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today visited a mixed-gender school in the Afghan capital of Kabul where he handed out pencil cases to students and surveyed various painting, acting, and music classes.

The Aschiana School, located in Kabul, receives almost $40,000 annual operating funding from Canada’s New Government. Thousands of Afghan boys and girls attend the school; mixed-gender schools did not operate in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

“Canada and Afghanistan have together made significant progress in the last 14 months -- progress that was unthinkable only a few years ago,” the Prime Minister said.

Thanks to the efforts of the UN-sanctioned, NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, thousands of development projects are moving forward and millions of Afghans have returned home.

The mission in Afghanistan represents the best of Canadian tradition and projects like the Aschiana School represent Canada at its best.

Canada’s New Government will continue to support our troops, diplomats and development personnel as they work to rebuild Afghanistan and protect Canadians.