Strasbourg / New York, February 23, 1998

DRUGS: THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT EXPRESSES ITS DEEP CONCERN REGARDING THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN UNDCP AND THE TALIBANS.

During its last plenary session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament, upon initiative of the Transnational Radical Party, adopted a urgency resolution that strongly criticizes the recent agreement between UNDCP and the Talibans for the financing of projects of crop eradication.

Among other, the European Parliament:

(...) - whereas the Taliban regime is recognized by only three states and whereas it therefore does not enjoy any international legitimacy;

(...) - Deeply concerned at the agreement concluded by the UNDCP and the Taliban, calls, therefore, on the Commission and the Member States to examine more closely the practical arrangements for the implementation of this agreement;

(...) - Calls on the countries which have recognized the Taliban government to withdraw their support and calls also the Council and the member States to withhold recognition of the Taliban and any other regime in Afghanistan so long as gender discrimination is imposed in the country;

(...) - Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Secretary General of the United Nations, the Governments of the United States, Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Russia, India, United Arab Emirates, the Northern Alliance and the Taliban authorities.

We strongly welcome this resolution and we hope that it will be taken in due consideration by the concerned states and UN bodies.