Afghanistan conference opens in Moscow

The United States says it is looking forward to working with Iran to bring stability to Afghanistan. A senior American official spoke as an international conference on Afghanistan opened in Moscow. Top of the agenda is the fight against terrorism, and eradicating the drugs trade which funds much of the Taliban’s attacks.

“Russia fully supports the people and government of Afghanistan in their efforts to maintain security, to suppress terrorism and extremist attempts to control parts of the country and set up parallel governments,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. “The fight against drug trafficking, whose profits finance the terrorist activity, is particularly important.” Moscow said Afghan drugs shipments are the number one threat facing the world, especially during the recession, and accused NATO of failing to concentrate on ending the trade. Officials also denounced the increasing “Talibanisation” of Pakistan, and warned of the danger of the nuclear-armed country falling under the control of extremists.

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