A high-level meeting of Afghanistan's supporters and neighbours say they will promote reconciliation and support efforts to fight the narcotics trade.

 

Hamid Karzai and Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, co-chaired the meeting on Sunday.

Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, and Manouchehr Mottaki, Iran's foreign minister, also attended. Delegates included the French, Japanese, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian and Turkish foreign ministers.

 

Ban said the participants agreed that "there should be more efforts by Karzai and other Afghan leaders in promoting inclusive political dialogue for national reconciliation".

 

He said there was "a strong desire" by the participants for the UN to do more, which he said it has been and will continue doing "closely monitoring the security situation there".

 

The UN has recently established nine new regional offices, bringing its total to 17 offices, he said.

 

Karzai said his government is working hard on peace talks to bring supporters of the country's former Taliban rulers, who continue to fight the US-backed government, "back to the fold".

 

 

Karzai said a peace and reconciliation process has been going on for some time alongside efforts to bring back those Taliban supporters who are not part of al-Qaeda and have been "forced or found in a position to leave Afghanistan or to pick up guns".

Karzai says 'deeds will tell' when it comes to identifying Taliban peace partners [AFP]

He said: "It is extremely important that this process will go on."

 

Karzai said identifying who should participate in peace talks is easy.

 

"Deeds will tell, and deeds do tell."

 

He said: "We are already in contact ... with those Taliban who are not part of al-Qaeda and terrorist networks, who are really in the majority ... and we would like to add to this process as the opportunity presents itself."