Madam President, Italy welcomes and supports the Resolution on the situation in Afghanistan before us and looks forward to its adoption by consensus. This will confirm the strong ongoing commitment of all United Nations member States to assist the Country on its path towards peace, stability, democracy and reconstruction. And we thank Germany for its leadership of the negotiations, which enabled the achievement of this important result. Italy aligns itself with the statement by the Permanent Representative of Sweden on behalf of the European Union and joins with previous speakers in welcoming the conclusion of the first elections run entirely under the responsibility of the Afghan Authorities, with the support of the international community.
We congratulate the people of Afghanistan and President Hamid Karzai on his election and we applaud the other Presidential candidates for a campaign that addressed key issues and challenges for Afghanistan and its people. 
We also welcome the efforts of the Afghani electoral institutions to address irregularities in accordance with the Afghan Election Law and the Afghan Constitution. In this process important lessons have been learned and need to be remembered in view of the forthcoming elections in 2010.
 
Madam President, As the G8 Foreign Ministers stated on 3 November 2009, the conclusion of this process gives Afghanistan a new opportunity for peaceful, effective and productive cooperation among all the political and social components of its society. It also paves the way for a new season of collaboration between the Afghani Authorities and the international community, under United Nations leadership. Strengthening regional cooperation - particularly among Countries crucial to the stability of the region - will also play a key role in promoting security and development in Afghanistan. We encourage President Karzai to rapidly form an effective, qualified and credible government for the sake of national unity. The biggest challenges facing the new executive are improving state and local governance, fighting corruption, promoting rule of law, justice and human rights, as well as increasing accountability and achieving progress on reintegration, security and stability. As one of the largest troop contributing Countries, Italy confirms its resolute support for the people and leadership of Afghanistan in their fight against terrorism and the cultivation and production of narcotic drugs, in promoting good governance, and tackling acute socio-economic problems. Our commitment remains unwavering to strengthening the ownership and responsibility of the Government of Afghanistan to the ultimate benefit of the Afghan people. Italy looks forward to participating in the inauguration of President Karzai and, upon the installation of his Government, to intensifying its dialogue with the Afghan authorities. Thank you, Madam President.