Brussels, 02/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - On 1 March, the Swedish Presidency adopted the following declaration on behalf of the EU:
"It is with dismay and shock that the EU has received information about the edict of the Taliban leader Mullah Omar, in which the destruction of all statues and shrines in Afghanistan is ordered.
The artefacts in Afghanistan are of priceless historic value. Afghanistan's rich cultural heritage is of vital importance not only to Afghanistan but to the world as a whole. The EU strongly urges the Taliban leadership not to implement this deeply tragic decision, which will deprive the people of Afghanistan of its rich cultural heritage.
The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the EU, the associated countries Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, and the EFTA countries members of the EEA, align themselves with this declaration."