Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit's presence at the International Conference on Afghanistan held yesterday in Kabul was not only highly welcomed by the Afghan President and other participants at the conference--it also signified the first visit made by a senior Egyptian official to the Afghan capital since the USSR invaded the country in 1979. In a statement issued yesterday, Zaki Hossam Zaki, spokesperson for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, said Egypt's participation in the conference reflects how the stability and development of Afghanistan are important from the Egyptian point of view. Zaki described how the Afghani people are trying to restore stability to their homeland by revamping the country's political, security, administrative and scientific institutions, to launch a comprehensive process of development. During a meeting with the Afghan president, Abul Gheit said Egypt was keen to support Afghanistan's political and economic progress. He emphasized that the special characteristics and priorities of the Afghan people should be respected in any development process, and the problems in Afghanistan should not be be viewed exclusively from a security perspective, as this may have a negative result. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
