Romania offers support for Afghanistan

ABU DHABI, Feb 11 (AFP) - Romanian President Ion Iliescu offered his full support to Afghanistan Monday during talks with interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai in the United Arab Emirates.

"Romania is working to offer its help to reconstruct Afghanistan, where it has deployed forces, notably police," to help improve security in the country, Iliescu told reporters.

Romania was scheduled to send a total of 48 soldiers, including military police and three liaison officers, to participate in the International Security Assistance Force, tasked with providing security in and around Kabul.

Iliescu, who arrived in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, called for "international cooperation in the fight against terrorism" launched by the United States after last September's terror attacks in New York and Washington.

The Romanian president, who held talks with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Zayed bin Rashid al-Nahyan on ways of boosting bilateral cooperation, also demanded that Israel's house arrest of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat be lifted.

Israel must "resume dialogue with Arafat in his capacity as the legitimate president of the Palestinian people," Iliescu said, quoted by the official WAM news agency.

He added that there should be a "negotiated" settlement to the Mideast conflict "guaranteeing the establishment of a Palestinian state and the right of Israel's existence."