Russell meets Afghan MPs

12.00.00am GMT Wed 27th Jan 2010

Colchester MP Bob Russell has had a meeting at the House of Commons with Members of Parliament from Afghanistan who are in the UK for the international conference on Afghanistan which opens tomorrow (Thursday) in London. It is the second time that he has had a meeting with a visiting delegation of Afghan MPs.

Mr Russell, who in 2008 twice visited Helmand Province to meet members of HM Armed Forces serving there, said that it was vital that Britain assisted in the development of democracy and economic prosperity in Afghanistan. "There will not be a military victory alone in Afghanistan. Our military presence is to help create a situation, with the removal of insurgents, whereby the Afghan people can live a life of peace - which is what most of them want to do, and this is the message which the Afghan MPs expressed."

He added: "We can be proud of the role which soldiers from the Colchester Garrison have played in helping the Afghan people re-build their country after 30 years of war. The alternative is for Afghanistan to revert to a rogue state exporting terrorism around the world and with its people, particularly women, subjected to barbaric rule."

Mr Russell specifically drew the attention of the Afghan MPs to a charity which is promoting the growth in Afghanistan of pomegranates as an alternative crop to poppies which help fuel the use of illegal drugs.