26 (UNI) Moscow and Washington "have no serious differences on opinions" about post-conflict formation of government in Afghanistan, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported today.
United States (US) Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow todaytold a press conference in Moscow that both Moscow and Washingtonbelieve Afghanistan needs a wide-based coalition government, unitingrepresentatives of every Ethnic group in the country.
What with Pashtuns being Afghanistans most numerous people, theymust naturally become part of the new government, Vershbow opined.
At the same time, he pointed out that Washington agreed withRussias position that the possibility of representatives of themovement joining the future government was "obsolutely out of the question".
"He fact that Taliban leaders sheltered and supported Osama binLaden makes their membership in the future government 100 per centimpossible,"the US Ambassador stressed.
Afghanistan is currently facing strikes by US-led forces,directed against the regime of the Islamic Militia Taliban there, asthey refused to surrender Saudi-born terrorist Osama bin Laden, whothe US believes is the prime suspect in the September 11 terroriststrikes in New York and Washington.
Ambassador Vershbow also said Russia was the key partner of theUS in its drive against terrorism.
The September 11 terrorist attacks in the US resulted in "anunprecedented alliance" between the two countries, he pointed out.
He stressed that the present military operation was part of along-term campaign targeted at total destruction of terrorism,adding, "we will not succeed if we do not involve all the nationsin the anti-terrorist struggle and Russia is our key-partner".
The US ambassador also said that the US was currently using itsmost advanced weapons in Afghanistan.
"These weapons allowed US to hit the Taliban targets, even theones located deep under ground." The next phase of the operation may include intensive strikes andeven commando raids as previously stated by US president George W.Bush, he added.
Meanwhile, the presidents of Pakistan and Turkey also sided withthe idea of creating a public representative government inAfghanistan, Turkish president Ahmed Necdet Sezer Yesterday told ajoint press conference that following Pakistani-Turkish summittalks.