Russia And Un Co-operate To Provide Afghanistan With Humanitarian Aid

Russian Foreign Minister today held a meeting in Moscow with UN Under Secretary for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Kenzo Oshima. They discussed Russian-UN co-operation for the planning and carrying out of the relief effort in Afghanistan. It was particularly pointed out during the meeting that the operation to help both those in need in Afghanistan itself and refugees was politically significant. The international community had made a clear distinction between the terrorist and their Afghan patrons, on the one hand, and the suffering population, on the other hand. The Russian side stressed that it would work to guarantee effective coordination between the large-scale Russia relief operation and international efforts in this sphere, above all under the aegis of the UN.