Fed: Govt says increased aid to Afghanistan

AAP General News (Australia)
12-31-2001
Fed: Govt says increased aid to Afghanistan

CANBERRA, Dec 31 AAP - Australia had spent $23 million on foreign aid to Afghanistan
and would find it difficult to spend much more, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said
today.

The government had boosted its foreign aid to Afghanistan and spent about $23 million
in recent months, Mr Downer said.

"We've already made a substantial increase," Mr Downer told ABC radio.

"And in fact when I was in Britain a couple of weeks ago I was pleasantly pleased by
the comments the British government made about the generosity of Australia's financial
contribution."

There was no point boasting about spending money without first working out precisely
what it would be spent on, he said.

"But certainly within the context of our present national budget it would be hard to
spend a great deal more than that," Mr Downer said.

"But we keep monitoring it from time to time and there are still assessment missions
looking at what more needs to be done."

AAP lm/gl/sb

KEYWORD: TERROR AUST AID

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