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Iran to join UN's Afghanistan talks
11/03/2001
By BRIAN MURPHY TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's foreign minister said Saturday he will take part in
talks on Afghanistan's future within a U.N.-backed group that includes the
United States. But Kamal Kharazzi insisted no direct meetings were planned with Secretary of
State Colin Powell while a top-level Iranian delegation is in New York for a
Nov. 10-16 U.N. General Assembly meeting, which had been postponed because of
the Sept. 11 attacks. ``There will be no bilateral exchanges'' with Powell, Kharazzi told reporters
at a news conference Saturday with Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou.
But the planned meeting of the so-called ``six-plus-two'' group offers Iran
and the United States a rare common forum to discuss efforts to topple the
Taliban and the terrorist network of Osama bin Laden. Washington cut ties with
Iran following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. No date has been set for the group's meeting, but it is expected to occur
during the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York. The U.N.-formed group includes six Afghan neighbors — Pakistan, Iran, China,
Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan — as well as the United States and
Russia. It was formed last year to try to broker an end to Afghanistan's civil wars,
but its focus has shifted to seeking a political coalition to succeed the
Taliban if it crumbles under the U.S.-led offensive. Both Iran and the United States seek the Taliban's demise. Iran helps arm the
anti-Taliban northern alliance militia, but it strongly opposes the U.S. bombing
campaign. Iran fears it signals a long-term U.S. military presence in the
region. ``The U.S. presence in central Asia has an effect on the whole region ... We
cannot remain indifferent to this,'' said Kharazzi. Papandreou — the latest European Union envoy to visit Iran since the New York
and Washington attacks — urged for increased attention to address the ``roots''
of terrorism, including ongoing clashes between Israelis and Palestinians. ``In this changed world ... we are rethinking and reviewing policies and
redefining coalitions and forms of cooperation,'' said Papandreou, wrapping up a
four-day trip that also included Pakistan and India.
Associated Press Writer