20000124Chechens open embassy

in Kabul

KABUL: The breakaway Russian republic of Chechnya opened an embassy in Afghanistan on Sunday as Russian artillery pounded the Chechen capital Grozny.

A green, white and black flag with six stars and a wolf was raised over a building in Kabul's city centre Flower Street, where residents with sufficient money buy blooms for weddings and toys for their children.

The ceremony brought together two movements which have fought to establish Islamic states that remain unrecognised by most other countries.

The Taliban, ruling a country where thousands of Russian soldiers were killed by Muslim fighters during the Soviet army's 1979-89 intervention, are the first movement to have recognised the Chechen militants as a government.

The embassy was opened by the deputy foreign minister of the ruling Taliban movement, Abdul Rehman Zahed, and Chechen officials.

The Taliban official praised Chechens for putting up stiff resistance to a massive Russian force, which has been trying to crush their resistance in Grozny.

He urged other Muslim states to rally behind the Chechen people and said the Taliban would give whatever help it could when Chechen officials formally move into the premises at an unspecified future date.

The ceremony followed a pledge by the Taliban last week to recognise the Chechen government and offer it assistance. The decision to recognise the breakaway government was made during a visit to Kabul by a former Chechen president Zelimkhan Andarbayev, who was in Kabul on Sunday.

The Taliban, who say they are on a mission to create the world's most authentic Islamic state, gave the Chechen delegation the building for its embassy, Taliban officials said.

Only Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have formally recognised the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan since it swept to power in 1996.

The Taliban control 90 percent of Afghanistan but are shunned by most countries. The world community wants to see a broad-based government, including groups still at war with the Taliban, to end 20 years of violence in Afghanistan.-Reuters