MOSCOW, April 7, 2004 -(RIA Novosti). The Russian side hopes that after simultaneous holding of presidential and parliamentary elections in Afghanistan (in June 2004) the country will have effective government, which will draw the line under the transition stage.
As the information and press department of the Russian Foreign Ministry reported on Wednesday, this was stated by Alexander Konuzin, Russia's deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the open session of the UN Security Council on Afghanistan.
"This, naturally, will set new tasks before the UN and its Assistance Mission in Afghanistan," the Russian representative said. Konuzin stressed that the Russian side will be ready "to consider proposals advanced by the UN Secretary General to this effect" and hopes that the "Afghan leadership will continue to pursue the policy of close cooperation with the international community."
