Embassy & Permanent Mission of Afghanistan - Vienna
Press Release
The Embassy and Permanent Mission of Afghanistan in Vienna hosts the National Day Reception 2016
Vienna, September 29, 2016 // On the occasion of the 97th anniversary of the restoration of Afghanistan’s independence, the Embassy and Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Vienna celebrated the National Day with a reception hosted at the Embassy and PM of Afghanistan. The reception commenced with the national anthems of Afghanistan and Austria and a welcome address by Mr. Hassan Soroosh, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy and Permanent Mission of Afghanistan in Vienna.
In his statement, Mr. Soroosh welcomed all guests, including Ambassadors, diplomats, representatives from the United Nations organizations and the OSCE, guests from Austrian Federal Ministries and other Austrian bodies and institutions.
Mr. Soroosh, in his remarks, made reference to Afghanistan’s history and highlighted that the people of Afghanistan have stood resilient in the course of history, from the time when the country served as the roundabout of the ancient world and as a trade hub along the silk road, to the modern history of Afghanistan when the country started experiencing decades of modernization and democratization and from the time of conflicts to the post conflict period following the fall of Taliban in 2001 which opened up a new chapter of life in Afghanistan including in international engagement in the country.
He also talked about the remarkable achievements made in various areas in the past 15 years including those recently made under the National Unity Government of Afghanistan and emphasized that such achievements would not have been possible without the international assistance. Mr. Soroosh expressed his gratitude to the international community and the Austrian people and Government for their continued support. Mr. Soroosh also briefed the guests about the upcoming Brussels Conference on Afghanistan as well as the National Priority Programs (NPPs) and the Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework (ANPDF) to be presented to the Conference. He concluded his remarks by highlighting that despite the challenges associated with the three security, political and economic transitions, “with the reforms undertaken by the National Unity Government and with the potential that exists in areas such as human resources, natural resources, agriculture as well as Afghanistan’s centrality in regional cooperation initiatives, Afghanistan is moving on the right direction towards self-reliance.”
The celebration of the National Day continued at the Embassy and Permanent Mission of Afghanistan in a second reception on the same evening for members of the Afghan community in Austria and Hungary.
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