Dmitry Litvinovich: Afghan hump of Jack Straw

The future government of Afghanistan will be dependent on other countries less than previous governments, head of the British Foreign Office Jack Straw announced today to journalists at his press-conference on Downing Street.

“I can guarantee that Afghanistan’s future government based on wide representation will in the least way depend on other countries, including its neighbours, like Pakistan, India, as well as on Russia," Straw explained.

He welcomed the meeting of Afghan political and ethnic representatives summoned on Monday in Berlin, under the aegis of the UN, which should discuss the question of country’s future political system. While noticing the importance of the event, the minister said as a result of this, meeting practical measures must be worked out to create a “temporary civil administration of Afghanistan." The statement sounds strange but sympathetic. If London regards Russia separately from other states, Moscow politicians seem not to have fed the Northern Alliance in vain. Russia also managed to outpace Western countries in providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. Americans actively drop aid from their aircraft to nowhere, while Russia’s assistance is “aimed," which is more effective. While politicians discuss what to do in Afghanistan, Russia really helps to Afghan people.

The Berlin conference will probably dot its “i’s”, but probably not. Only one thing is clear: Russian diplomacy has chosen the right direction, which makes its allies in the anti-taliban coalition nervous.

Dmitry Litvinovich

PRAVDA.Ru