Afghan Diplomat Says Government Cannot Be Formed Without Achievement Of National Unity

Achievement of national unity in Afghanistan is a necessary prerequisite for forming the government, according to Ghairat Sakhi, first secretary of the Afghanistan embassy in Moscow. He said Tuesday that the leadership of the internationally recognized Islamic State of Afghanistan was actively working on the issue of the political reconstruction of the country. The Afghan delegation is due to set off for Rome soon to participate in the next stage of consultations within the framework of the Afghanistan Supreme Council of National Unity and to meet the former king Mohammad Zakhir Shah. The diplomat admitted that other political groups could contribute to the formation of a new government of Afghanistan. He said that it would include representatives of all the ethnic groups living in Afghanistan, including Pashto. The delegation of former Afghan king representatives headed by Hidayat Amin Arsallah is currently in Islamabad. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry says this visit is being carried out as a part of joint efforts by the UN, the Islamic Conference Organization, and Pakistan itself to create a government of broad national representation in Afghanistan.