The foreign ministers of the G8 Monday issued a statement in Gatineau,Canada, reaffirming their collective commitment to support Afghanistan on its road to peace and stability.

The foreign ministers acknowledged that although Afghanistan had gained some advancements toward its recovery, there were still many challenges hindering reconstruction efforts, and many Afghans still struggled with poverty, insecurity, corruption and lack of economic opportunities. The efforts necessary for the reconstruction of Afghanistan need to be Afghan-led.

The ministers, who had a meeting in Gatineau, said in the statement that the international community needed to remain engaged in order to enable Afghans to assume full ownership of their own security, governance and development.

They expected to see concrete action taken on the many mutual commitments made in the London Conference Communique and expressed their commitment of assisting the Afghan government in making progress, including fostering the capability and effectiveness of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), in order to restore and maintain security and stability of the country.

In the mean time, they urged the Afghan Government to finalize the National Security Strategy and Policy, to remain committed to transition to an ANSF lead in security responsibilities, to reinforce strategies on the protection of civilians, and to be bold in its efforts to address difficult governance issues.

They also called on the government of Afghanistan to undertake electoral reforms, take steps to ensure the integrity of parliamentary elections in 2010, and act swiftly to combat corruption.

The foreign ministers encouraged the UN to strengthen its presence in Afghanistan to allow it to fulfill its important role in areas such as electoral support, human rights and the rule of law.