British Foreign Secretary: Afghan People Should Form New Government With UN Assistance

The new Afghan government should be formed by the people of Afghanistan with the help of the UN and international community, British foreign secretary Jack Straw told Russian politicians Wednesday. He remarked that the Afghan people need help in restoring their country. To this end, Straw believes, our countries should not only consult with each other but establish a close practical collaboration. Straw stressed that the Taleban had compromised themselves. There can be no talk about negotiating with Osama bin Laden, said the minister. He pointed out that there could be no peaceful co-existence with terrorists and militant extremists. Straw sees the best help to the Afghan people in eliminating the threat posed by the Al-Qaeda organisation along with the Taleban regime. Over the past five years, said Straw, there has been no efficient government in Afghanistan. The anarchy and chaos in Afghanistan are threatening stability of its neighbours in Pakistan, Iran and Central Asia, said Straw. These countries are already suffering from the serious aftermaths of the drug trafficking and mass surge of refugees. In the present-day world without frontiers, a chaos emerging elsewhere immediately becomes our neighbour, no matter what country we live in, continued Straw. Ninety percent of heroin sold in British streets, he said, come from Afghanistan. Straw underscored that the military campaign was not a way out in long-term perspective. In his opinion, political and humanitarian efforts are of no less importance.