I have just come from Kabul after having met my staff in Afghanistan. Also, I had very good meetings with President Karzai, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, and other core diplomatic members there. I thank you very much for your condolences on the death of our UN staff by heinous terrorist attacks. Your support and condolence was a source of great encouragement for us. We appreciate also your contribution and initiative in bringing peace, stability and development in Afghanistan. I highly admire the sacrifices and noble efforts of the United Kingdom’s men and women who have been working in very difficult and dangerous situations. Your support will be a great contribution in our common efforts to bring peace and stability.

I have discussed with President Karzai what the international community and United Nations would expect now he has been confirmed as the winner of this election. Now, while he is going to lead his country as a second-term president, I urged him to take all necessary measures. First of all, to meet the expectations of the Afghan people, and the international community which has been making a great contribution and giving assistance, expecting that Afghan people can enjoy genuine freedom, democracy, stability and prosperity. That includes ensuring good governance, including the eradication of corruptive practices prevalent in Afghanistan, controlling drug trafficking and forming a unity government with experienced ministers and government officials, reaching out to all the ethnic groups, all people, and political and religious leaders. I have specifically asked President Karzai to work together with all his political leaders who were presidential candidates, including Dr. Abdullah Abdullah.

I also met Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and asked him to act as a responsible political leader, who has gained more than 30% of the Afghan popular vote. I expect the Afghan government led by President Karzai will enhance their good performance. On that basis, I am sure the United Nations, together with all members of the international community, will stand by in helping the Afghan people and government to bring peace, stability and prosperity. The United Nations will continue, despite this heinous terrorist attack, to support Afghanistan’s people and government. We cannot and will not be deterred. We will continue and I thank you very much for your support.

As the Prime Minister said, we discussed climate change. We are going through a crucially important period for the whole of humanity. We must have a comprehensive, binding agreement in Copenhagen in December. For that to be possible, I have been very closely working together with Prime Minister Rasmussen, [who will hold the presidency] of the Copenhagen meeting. We have been engaged in talking to many world leaders, and I appreciate Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s initiative for this climate-change funding. I am glad and encouraged that the European Union leaders had a very good summit meeting last week, and recognised the importance of this climate-change financing support and technological support.

The developed countries should come out with ambitious targets for greenhouse-gas emissions by 2020. We must be able to have an agreement where all the countries should participate with the clear vision that all the countries should work for the long-term goal to save this planet from climate change. I will continue to work together with the members of the international community. I particularly expect Prime Minister Gordon Brown to continue to lead this initiative. We discussed the Millennium Development Goals Summit Meeting. Next year will be the year when we will have only five years more to go. Thus, the United Nations General Assembly is going to hold a summit meeting in September next year. I have asked Prime Minister Gordon Brown to work [in the Leader’s group], and I am very happy that he agreed, and I appreciate his championing role to meet the targets of the MDGs.

We also discussed how we can reduce the maternal mortality rate, which is the slowest moving pillar among the MDGs, and I appreciate that the Prime Minister, and particularly Mrs. Sarah Brown, who has been taking a leadership role initiative on this issue. We are going to work together. I am doing my best efforts to raise awareness, trying to first of all raise the political will, as well as mobilising necessary funding to reduce the maternal rate. This will be one of the key pillars which I will continue to devote next year, as we prepare for the MDG summit meeting next year. The industrialised countries should come out with the vision to meet the requirement of 0.7% of GNI by 2015.

I also appreciate the United Kingdom’s initiative and leadership role in realising a world free from nuclear threat, and I appreciate the UK’s vision in ‘Road to 2010’, and your initiative in working together with major countries like the United States on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. I will continue my good office’s role in bringing full democratisation in Myanmar, so that we will be able to see a transparent, inclusive, and credible election, to be carried out with all the political leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi released. I will continue my efforts. Thank you very much.