October 25, 2001	Thursday	Shaba'an 7, 1422

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UNITED NATIONS, Oct 24: With the full backing of the UN Security Council members, secretary-general’s special envoy to Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, will travel to Iran and Pakistan to discuss “future possible role of the UN” in Afghanistan.

Asked whether Mr Brahimi would be visiting to Rome to meet former king Zahir Shah, a UN official told Dawn on Wednesday that “at this time we have not scheduled his visit to Rome.”

On Tuesday Mr Brahimi met envoys of Organization of Islamic Conference before meeting with the 15-member Security Council. “There was an exchange of views on the humanitarian, political and military situation in and around Afghanistan and a discussion about the future possible role of the UN,” ambassador Richard Ryan of Ireland, the current President of the Council said in a press statement after the closed-door meeting.

Secretary-general Kofi Annan and his deputy special representative for Afghanistan, Frances Vendrell, also took part in the session.

“Council members reiterated their full support for the work of Mr Brahimi and encouraged him to continue his consultations,” ambassador Ryan said.

Talking to correspondents Mr Brahimi said he was preparing to go to the region in the next few days to talk to as many Afghan parties as possible in search of a “home-grown” solution to the current crisis. “Nobody wants an arrangement imposed on Afghanistan,” Mr Brahimi said. “The Afghans would not accept it and the international community understands that. We in the UN would definitely not be part of a thing like that.”

As for the humanitarian situation in the country, members of the Security Council urged neighbouring countries to intensify their cooperation with the UN in responding to the refugee crisis.

The Security Council members also demanded that the Taliban stop preventing aid from reaching the Afghan people and stop threatening the safety and security of aid workers.

In the statement, Council members stressed the importance of ensuring that emergency supplies were delivered to Afghans in need as quickly as possible.

Mr Brahimi told the Islamic countries envoys that his talks with American officials focussed on the UN’s role in Afghanistan and that various options were discussed.