Iran, Russia Agree on Broad-based Afghan GovernmentIran and Russia on Wednesday stressed the importance of establishment a broad-based government in Afghanistan in order to help restore security and stability in the region.Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi and his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov reached the agreement on the issue during their phone conversation, the official IRNA news agency reported. During the phone talks, Kharazi underlined coordinated efforts to form the future Afghan government, which should be made up of all Afghan factions and ethnic groups, based on the Afghan people's will and under the U.N. supervision. Ivanov shared the same view with Kharazi, and stressed the need for countries neighboring Afghanistan to coordinate their stances on the ongoing crisis in that war-torn country, IRAN said. The Russian minister also said that he is going to send his deputy to Tehran soon to hold regular consultations with Iranian officials. The United States, a politicial arch-foe of Iran, has been pounding Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia since October 7 for its harboring Saudi-born Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect of the September 11 terror attacks on Washington and New York. Iran has condemned the September 11 terror attacks, while denouncing the U.S.-led military strikes against neighboring Afghanistan. As the U.S. is planning to form a new Afghan government under the former King Mohammed Zaher Shah after toppling the Taliban regime, Tehran has been coordinating with various sides, especially the Afghan neighbors, in this repect. The Islamic republic fears that either a pro-American government, or a pro-Pakistani regime under moderate elements of the Taliban could be installed in Kabul. |
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