January 05, 2004
Ottawa, Ontario

STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER

Prime Minister Paul Martin today issued the following statement welcoming Afghanistan’s adoption of a new constitution:

“On behalf of all Canadians, I want to congratulate the Afghan people on the new Constitution agreed upon by Afghanistan's Constitutional Loya Jirga in Kabul yesterday. This is a historic development. The new Afghan Constitution is an important step toward a democratic Afghanistan and lays the groundwork for national elections later this year.

“Canada will continue to support Afghanistan and work with the international community and the Afghan people to provide the security and stability necessary for the democratic development of Afghanistan.”