Search On For Political Solution To Afghan Problem

While conducting an anti-terrorist military action it is necessary also to carry out "an intensive search for a political solution to the problem of forming a future broadly based coalition government whose outlines are already assuming quite a clear form," Ghairat Sakhi, first secretary of the Afghanistan embassy in Russia, has told RIA Novosti. He was speaking after Thursday's meeting between Burhanuddin Rabbani, President of the Islamic State of Afghanistan, and Turkey's President Ahmet Necdet Sezer in Dushanbe, during which the sides discussed among other things aspects of a future political settlement in Afghanistan. In the Afghan diplomat's view, this meeting will go a long way towards strengthening the authority and prestige of the present Afghan government in the world. "These negotiations will also make a contribution to the starting of a large-scale political dialogue between the Muslim world and western countries on the settlement of the Afghan issue," Ghairat believes. It is important, he said, "that this government should have broad backing both in the Islamic world and the European Union". Speaking of Turkey, the Afghan diplomat recalled that Turkey played a significant role in the history of the Afghan state in the past as well. "Our intellectuals have brought the fundamental ideas of independence and freedom into Afghanistan from Turkey," he said.