Afghanistan was catapulted into the focus of world's attention when 9/11 shocked the world. Over the last one decade, Afghanistan has been one of the countries that have received international attention, aid and assistance. Afghan people have been supportive of international community's presence and continue to be in favor of sustained interactions with the international community.

They believe that it is in their interests to establish cultural and economic ties with world's powers. There is an interest on the part of international community to continue to help Afghanistan to stand on its feet. It is because of this very interest that Afghanistan has signed strategic partnership agreements (SPA) with some major countries such as India, Italy, France, Britain, the US and Germany.

President Hamid Karzai signed a strategic partnership agreement with Germany last Wednesday in Berlin. This agreement is apparently specific in terms of financial pledges made by Germany as it says that Germany will give around $190 million in annual aid to help Afghan national security forces (ANSF) after the withdrawal of NATO troops in 2014, when the transitioning of security responsibility to ANSF will be completed.

Afghanistan was kept in middle ages when the Taliban was ruling it. It sank into a deep isolation. These SPA's help the country remain in cultural, economic and political interactions with the world. But there is a need for Afghan politicians, leadership and authorities to make most of them. International community has pledged to continue to provide generous support for Afghanistan. B

ut unfortunately Afghan government is not doing enough to make the administration transparent. Corruption runs rampant, which has created a gap between Afghanistan and its international supporters and donors.

International community and those countries that have signed strategic agreements with Afghanistan to regulate their cooperation and assistance do not want to collect their taxpayers' money to bring to Afghanistan where it is siphoned off by corrupt officials. They therefore would like Afghan government to launch a genuine and comprehensive campaign to stamp out corruption.

President Karzai is attending Chicago conference this week. He must show a genuine political will to clean his administration of corruption in order to regain the trust of international community. Otherwise, the already reluctant international community will stop their aid to Afghanistan, and ultimately it is Afghanistan that will suffer and face economic and political problems.