Afghanistan to top agenda of Russia-NATO Council meeting - FM.

20/11 Tass 251

MOSCOW, November 20 (Itar-Tass) - Afghanistan's problems will be
discussed at the ministerial meeting of the Russia-NATO Council in early
December, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after the talks with
his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle on Friday.

"The speech of Afghanistan's re-elected president Hamid Karzai
received our approval and approval of our western partners," he said. "We
together with Guido Westerwelle agreed that the whole world community
should support the tasks set by the Afghan leader."
The Russian diplomat noted that Moscow and Berlin support the idea of
an international conference on Afghanistan that "will become a milestone
event in enhancing support for the Afghan people's efforts to take matters
in the country into their own hands."
Russia "is maximally open to all formats of cooperation on this
problem," Lavrov said. "We are interested in building deeper partnership
and expanding the mechanism of discussions."
In particular, Lavrov called on member-states of NATO and the
Collective Security Treaty Organization to take part in regular
discussions on Afghanistan.
"We expect a constructive reaction from the alliance," he said. "In
early December the theme of ensuring law and order in Afghanistan will be
discussed at the ministerial meeting of the Russia-NATO Council."
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