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TORONTO, June 15 (Reuters) Canada will contribute another C15 million dollars to the reconstruction of Afghanistan in a move it also feels is key to protecting national security, Prime Minister Stephen Harper today said.

Harper said the contribution will be directed at rebuilding rural irrigation systems to help stimulate food production and local agriculture in Afghanistan.

''One more step in a journey we are taking with our allies and the Afghan people to establish a peaceful, prosperous and democratic Afghanistan, an Afghanistan that will never again serve as a safe haven for international terrorist groups,'' Harper told Parliament.

The contribution, which follows more than C$1 billion in aid already promised over 10 years, will be made through the Asian Development Bank.

Harper decided to ramp up the contribution to Afghanistan in order to better ensure Canada's national security, to show Canada's leadership on the world stage and because the government of Afghanistan asked for more help.

Earlier this week, two Canadian soldiers were reported in serious condition after undergoing surgery for gunshot wounds suffered during a clash with militants from the former Taliban regime not far from the southern city of Kandahar, where Canada has 2,300 troops.

Since the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, 16 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan.

Reuters SY GC2240