MOSCOW, June 10, 2004 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is ready to contribute to "peaceful, independent and democratic Afghanistan", Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a Thursday opening ceremony of archive documents exhibition devoted to 85 years of diplomatic relations between Russia and Afghanistan, which took place in Moscow.
"Russia is ready to contribute to peaceful, independent and democratic Afghanistan, which would be a deserved member of the international community," Sergei Lavrov said.
Employees of the Afghan Embassy to Russia, representatives of Russian state bodies and public as well as members of the Afghan Diaspora in Moscow attended the ceremony.
Both Sergei Lavrov and Afghani Ambassador to Russia Ahmad Zia Massuod stressed how important lasting good-neighborly bilateral relations are for both nations. They emphasized that both Russian and Afghan leadership intended to develop cooperation and friendly relations, which date back to the beginning of the last century.
