Moscow Rules Out Participation Of The Taliban In The Future Power Structures In Afghanistan

The future leadership in Kabul must represent all ethnic groups living in Afghanistan," but "no participation of the Taliban in the power structures is possible," Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Ivanov told reporters on Thursday in Washington after completing his negotiations with US Secretary of State Colin Powell. The minister said that at these negotiations they touched upon the situation in Afghanistan in connection with the US military operation being conducted there against terrorists. In combating international terrorism, the USA and Russia act as allies, and at the present time it is very important for Moscow and Washington "to determine the strategy of joint actions with an eye to the future" in such spheres as "the establishment of a post-conflict political regime in Afghanistan," believes the Russian Foreign Minister. "It is absolutely obvious that armed actions alone will not solve the problem," said Igor Ivanov. According to him, the positions of Russia and the United States "were similar" in that the decisions on a post-conflict settlement "should be carried out under the aegis of the United Nations."