Russia Reaffirms No Taliban Deputy in Afghan Government

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, November 26, 2001

Russia Reaffirms No Taliban Deputy in Afghan Government

There must be no Taliban representatives in the future Afghan government after the Taliban regime is overthrown in the country, Russian Foreign Minister IgorIvanov said Sunday.

There must be no Taliban representatives in the future Afghan government after the Taliban regime is overthrown in the country, Russian Foreign Minister IgorIvanov said Sunday.

"The Taliban, who have brought tragedy to Afghan soil, surely do not have either a moral or political right to be members of thecountry's new leadership," Ivanov said in an interview with Russia's RTR television on Sunday evening. The foreign minister's statement again reiterated the Russian insistence that the new Afghan government should exclude Taliban representatives.

There can be no talks about any "moderate Taliban" now, he said. A new Afghan government should represent all ethnic groups living the country, he said. "What is in question now is that all,including the Pashtuns, should be represented... the Pashtuns, a major ethnic group in Afghanistan, must not be equated with the Taliban." "The Pashtuns should be represented, and we will support this,"Ivanov said.

Asked about the resumption of the work of the Russian Embassy in Afghanistan, Ivanov recalled that a Russian diplomatic mission was among the first to arrive in Kabul, and has already been working there for about a week. Meanwhile, a special team for settling the Russian diplomatic mission and resolving all other problems concerning full-scale diplomatic representation will start working in Kabul on Monday asordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the minister said. Moreover, another team of Russian specialists will start work in Kabul on Monday to establish a humanitarian aid center for the Afghan population, he added.

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