Brussels, 02/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - In agreement with the Conference of Presidents of the Parliamentary Groups, Nicole Fontaine, President of the European Parliament, has invited Commander Massoud to Strasbourg of 5 April. For Commander Massoud, who defends a moderate line in Afghanistan faced with the extremism of the Taliban, this will be his first trip to Europe, and he will be received Thursday morning by Ms. Fontaine and then the political groups who wish to hear him..
You may recall that Philippe Morillon MEP (French, EPP-ED) in particular has often expressed the hope that Europe would clearly and concretely demonstrate its backing for Commander Massoud, and that Parliament has on many occasions expressed its concern for the serious and repeated infringements of fundamental rights and of the dignity of human beings committed in Afghanistan (see EUROPE of 26 March, p. 6, for the latest resolution adopted in plenary). In a press release, Nicole Fontaine states that this regime and, "the main allies to which it turns for support, notably Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, must be the subject of international pressure without concession".