Donors pledge billions aid in Brussels

World powers attending EU talks in Brussels have pledged billions of dollars to fund Afghanistan until 2020, amid fresh calls for the revival of a peace process in the war-ravaged country after more than 40 years of conflict. With the government in Kabul facing a resurgent Taliban 15 years after US forces helped to oust […]

World powers attending EU talks in Brussels have pledged billions of dollars to fund Afghanistan until 2020, amid fresh calls for the revival of a peace process in the war-ravaged country after more than 40 years of conflict.
With the government in Kabul facing a resurgent Taliban 15 years after US forces helped to oust the group from power, more than 70 government representatives met with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani to promise further financial support.
The EU is leading the effort, partly with the aim of slowing Afghan migrant flows into Europe.
As well as funding, the EU focused on getting stalled peace negotiations back on track by bringing together regional players at a dinner on Tuesday night.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini announced that the 28-nation bloc would pledge $1.5bn a year, adding that she expected “similar levels of engagement from our partners”.