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Afghan conference begins in Bonn

The German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has urged delegates at the Afghan conference in Bonn to seize the historic opportunity to forge a lasting peace.

Europe correspondent Michael Brissenden reports the delegates aim to set up a transitional government in Afghanistan to succeed the defeated Taliban regime.

A UN spokesman says all four Afghan groups at the Bonn conference have agreed they should reach an accord on a transitional government within three to five days.

"The meeting on Afghanistan's future is now underway. Twenty two delegates from the four main Afghan factions have been urged by their hosts, the German government and the United Nations to forge a historic compromise that will lead to peace in Afghanistan. Opening the meeting the German Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer said Afghanistan now had a great opportunity to guarantee a future where terrorism will have no place. Now is the time he said, the responsibility is yours. The international community wants to see an agreement on the binding rules for a transitional government and an agreement to protect human rights and to guarantee freedom for women. In a statement read to the conference the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan said this meeting is an opportunity to begin again. You must not let the mistakes of the past be repeated, he said."

28/11/01 1:05:08 | ABC Radio Australia News

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Afghan conference begins in Bonn

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