On the bright and clear morning of Wednesday December 4^th, the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, members of the diplomatic corps, DFAT and the Afghan community and friends of Afghanistan gathered at the Nara Peace Park to share their well-wishes for Afghanistan’s future. 

The ringing of the Canberra Rotary Peace Bell symbolised a fitting conclusion to this year’s many events, which celebrated the 50^th Anniversary of Afghan-Australian diplomatic relations and the 100^th Anniversary of Afghanistan’s reclamation of independence. It has been a busy year at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Canberra and coming together with our friends to ring the Peace Bell reaffirmed the messages of support, goodwill and prosperity for the future. It also showcased solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, who have been affected by conflict for over 40 years and are now beginning to look forward to a future of enduring and lasting peace. 

This has been a shared mission with our Australian colleagues, who in many shapes and forms and in a wide range of capacities, have shown their dedication to supporting a resolution to Afghanistan’s troubles and to structure meaningful peace negotiations. Each ring of the Peace Bell commemorated the sacrifices and dreams of Australian and Afghan people; their civilians, their military personnel, their students, their teachers, and their children.

We now look forward to moving into the next 50 years of this robust relationship, where the two countries can come together to overcome the forces of extremism that stand in the way of peace. The Embassy of Afghanistan also wishes to take this opportunity to thank all of our friends and supporters who have attended this year’s events and joined with us to celebrate all that 2019 represents for Afghanistan and Australia.