26 March 2004 13:28
Russia "alarmed" at rise in terrorist activities in Afghanistan
Moscow, 26 March: "Moscow is alarmed at reports of the growth in subversive activities by terrorists and the
remnants of the Taleban regime in Afghanistan," official spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Aleksandr
Yakovenko has said, in the light of a forthcoming international conference on Afghanistan, which is to be held in Berlin
on 31 March - 1 April. The Russian delegation is headed by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
"The extremists have regrouped and control a number of areas of the country," Yakovenko noted. "They
are expanding their social base by exploiting the population's dissatisfaction with difficult social and living
conditions and the low efficiency of economic programmes and international aid". He said "a rapid rise in the
economy is a major factor in normalizing the situation in the country". It is important that "interested
countries act like partners in Afghanistan's economic space while the local authorities create the conditions
necessary for an influx of investments".
Yakovenko also said that "the creation of new armed forces, a police force, special services and judicial bodies
at the same time as disarming the population and reintegrating former fighters into civilian life" is an important
task. Russia "intends to cooperate with Kabul in this area", he noted. "An effective solution to the
problems of Afghanistan is linked to curbing the growth in illegal drugs production and smuggling," the diplomat
stressed. "The drugs business gives financial support to antigovernment forces and hampers improvements in the
economy." Russia is "convinced of the increased urgency of developing a complex international strategy to
resist the drugs threat from Afghanistan, including the adoption of measures both within the country and on the
perimeter". [Passage omitted]
[ITAR-TASS news agency] |
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