RIA NOVOSTI INTERVIEW WITH ALEXANDER YAKOVENKO, AN OFFICIAL RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, AHEAD OF VISIT TO RUSSIA BY AFGHANISTAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER ABDULLAH ABDULLAH

Question: On November 27-28, Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah is expected to pay an official visit to Russia. What do you think are the main prerequisites for normalising the situation in that country?

Answer: Russia is interested in the revival of a peaceful, independent, prosperous and friendly Afghanistan, living in harmony with its neighbours and the international community as a whole.

The Afghan counter-terrorist operation by coalition forces and international efforts under the UN umbrella to promote Afghanistan's state and economic rehabilitation should ensure a guaranteed non-resumption of terrorist, narcotic and other threats from the territory of that country to regional security and global stability.

We consider it of fundamental importance to preserve the existing spirit of international partnership and equal cooperation within the Afghanistan political and economic space, to head off any rivalry and clashes of interests.

We fully support the interim administration of Afghanistan, led by Hamid Karzai. We expect that this administration, helped by the world community, would prepare the required conditions to hold timely general elections, create the necessary prerequisites for boosting the economy and developing social welfare, form national armed forces and law enforcement bodies, and establish full central government control over the country.

Question: What are the priorities of Russian-Afghan relations at present?

Answer: Russia is ready to develop vigorous political, trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural ties with Afghanistan. We intend to make a further contribution to the process of state and economic revival of that country, to cooperate with it on a bilateral and a multilateral basis with the aim of restoring the industrial and agricultural facilities, and building an energy and road infrastructure. We will render assistance to the Afghans in creating a new army and law enforcement bodies.

We are also set for close coordination with Afghanistan in the international arena in the interests of ensuring regional stability. We likewise back Afghanistan's desire to take an active part in world and regional political and economic integrative processes.