Afghan President Hamid Karzai - Visit to Canada September 21-23, 2006
During their working visit in Ottawa, President Karzai and Prime Minister Harper discussed a wide range of issues, including security and reconstruction activities currently underway. Canada is providing $1-billion in aid to Afghanistan over 10 years in addition to its commitment to the NATO-led military operation there. The Prime Minister reaffirmed his support for President Karzai’s efforts to provide stable and effective government for the people of Afghanistan. He pledged that Canada will retain its presence in that country until the work of building a firm foundation for a peaceful, democratic society is complete.  2006-09-22 - Prime Minister Harper concludes meetings with President Karzai
The two leaders held a bilateral meeting on Thursday evening, and President Karzai addressed the House of Commons on Friday morning. This was the second meeting between President Karzai and Prime Minister Harper, the first having occurred on March 14, 2006, in Kabul. 2006-09-22 - President Karzai's House of Commons address In Montreal, President Karzai addressed a luncheon gathering hosted by Le Conseil des relations internationales de Montréal and attended the inaugural meeting of the Canada-Afghanistan Business Council.
Hamid Karzai President of Afghanistan - Biography Hamid Karzai was born on December 24, 1957, in Kandahar, Afghanistan. After graduating from high school in 1976, he travelled to India as an exchange student and in 1983 obtained a master’s degree in international relations and political science from Simla University. Mr. Karzai joined the mujahideen resistance movement in Pakistan and served as director of information for the National Liberation Front and later as deputy director for its Political Office. After the formation of the mujahideen’s transitional government in 1989, Mr. Karzai was appointed director of the Foreign Relations Unit in the Office of the President of the Interim Government. When the mujahideen government was established in Kabul in 1992, he was appointed deputy foreign minister. As a result of the civil war between various mujahideen groups, he resigned his post and began to work actively to organize a national Loya Jirga or Grand Council. Mr. Karzai returned to Uruzgan province in October 2001 and worked to coordinate local efforts to rid Afghanistan of the Taliban and their supporters. In December 2001, he was elected chairman of the Interim Administration of Afghanistan by participants at the UN-sponsored Bonn Conference. He, along with the appointed cabinet, took the oath of office on December 22, 2001. His role as leader of the country was confirmed by members of the Emergency Loya Jirga when he was elected President of the Transitional Government on June 13, 2002. On October 9, 2004, Mr. Karzai won the majority of votes in Afghanistan’s first presidential election and was elected to a five-year term as President of Afghanistan. He took his oath of allegiance on December 7, 2004.
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