KABUL - NATO on Monday asked Afghanistan to put its house in order, a day after foreign donors pledged billions of dollars in aid to the impoverished nation to help fix its brittle economy and sustain itself once foreign troops end combat operations in 2014.

Speaking to reporters in Kabul, NATO senior civilian representative's spokesman Dominic Medley said the country needed to further strengthen governance and reinforce the values enshrined in its constitution.
"Access to justice, fight against corruption, and efficient distribution of resources and improved delivery of services are needed if Afghanistan is to make the most of the opportunity from Tokyo and many conferences before. All those areas require work by the government of Afghanistan and by the donors," Medley remarked.

He was responding to a question about NATO's expectation from the Karzai administration in terms of spending donors' dollars.

On Sunday, the Tokyo Conference pledged $16 billion in civilian aid over the next four years to help Kabul manage its economy. For a decade, the country has been reliant on outside funding that is also expected to shrink once NATO-led troops withdraw.

Medley also commented on the significance of the United States declaring Afghanistan as its major Non-NATO ally.
"The significance is not to be underestimated," he said, adding: "Only some 15 countries in the world have that status."

He added: "It further strengthens the strategic partnership that was signed between Afghanistan and the United States and of course that partnership is complimented by declarations at recent conferences and the many partnerships and bilateral agreements that have been signed this year alone with Afghanistan."

On Saturday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who arrived in Kabul on a surprise visit, announced that the Obama administration had awarded the special status to Afghanistan, which experts say would boost defense ties between the two nations. (Pajhwok)