A ceremony of the signing of Grant Agreements with the Afghan NGO ‘AIRO’ was held in the Japanese Embassy in Kabul on 25 January 2010. The Agreements cover the implementation of outreach projects for the Ghazni province, i.e.

• supporting the education sector in the Ghazni province (reconstructing three primary schools), and
• building a wall in the district of Khwaja Omari.

The Grant Agreements are the direct outcome of the cooperation between Japan’s and Poland’s Embassies in Kabul and the Polish division of the Provincial Reconstruction Team –Ghazni.

The signing ceremony was attended by the Japanese Ambassador to Kabul, Shigeyuki Hiroki,  and his Polish counterpart, Ambassador Maciej Lang, as well as members of the diplomatic corps and non-governmental organisations.

The Japanese government has earmarked over $500.000 for a number of educational and rural development projects in the Ghazni province in 2010. The Polish division of the Provincial Reconstruction Team Ghazni will this year spend funds to the value of PLN22 mln on continuing outreach projects, such as strengthening state and civil society structures, women’s career development, health protection, education and the reconstruction of Ghazni infrastructure.

The signing of the Grant Agreements marks a crucial stage in the Polish-Japanese development cooperation, making it possible for the two countries to pool their aid resources thus increasing money flow to Afghanistan.