Moscow Looks To A Peaceful Afghanistan Free From Terrorism And Drugs

Moscow views the swearing-in of an interim Afghan administration led by Hamid Karzai as the start of a process of establishing a peaceful Afghanistan free from terrorism and narcotics, RIA Novosti was told on Saturday at the Foreign Ministry of Russia. Russia has invariably supported healthy forces of Afghan society in their struggle against terrorism and obscurantism, as embodied by the Taliban regime. "People in this country know from their own experience what sort of threat to mankind terrorism brings and so without hesitation joined in the anti-terrorist coalition, making a weighty contribution to its success," it was noted at the Foreign Ministry. The ministry stated that today there are real chances of radically improving the situation in Afghanistan. In these conditions Russia, jointly with other states and as part of a UN peacekeeping effort, intends to render necessary assistance both to comprehensive political settlement in and around Afghanistan and to social and economic rehabilitation of the country. Moscow has expressed sincere hope that the Afghans on whom primarily depends success of the new administration will be able to seize upon the chance that appeared for peaceful restoration of their country, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.