MOSCOW, April 4 (RIA Novosti) - With less than a day remaining until a crucial presidential vote, fears remain that enemies of democracy and stability in Afghanistan may try to derail the election with violence, Azizullah Karzai, Afghanistan's ambassador to Russia, told RIA Novosti Thursday.
Yet the diplomat said that no one can stand in the way of the Afghan people in upholding democracy in the country.
Saturday's elections come against a backdrop of increasing volatility as NATO troops are preparing to pull out of Afghanistan by the end of the year.
The ambassador said he hoped the elections would meet expectations and comply with Afghan law. An independent election committee is taking measures to ensure that outcome, he added.
Karzai said he hoped a president would be elected in the first round with no runoff, but added the upcoming vote would be an important democratic lesson for the country no matter the result.
The current Afghan leader, Hamid Karzai, is ineligible to run due to term limits. While in office, President Karzai helped pass the existing democratic constitution that is now the basis of law in the country. The ambassador stressed that President Karzai's profound leadership experience and strong stand on the global arena allowed Afghanistan to put an end to its political isolation.
"He is an experienced leader. His expertise may come in handy to the new president. He will no longer be ruling the country, but he can still share his experience and give advice on various issues," Ambassador Karzai noted.
When asked about the security agreement that President Karzai was to sign with Washington concerning US assistance past 2014, the Afghan ambassador to Russia underscored that the president was still waiting for his conditions to be met.
"The main condition is to achieve security and peace in the country. If the US guaranteed just as much, the president would undoubtedly sign the deal," he explained.
Kabul has recently found itself trapped in a dilemma, as NATO has refused to cooperate with Russia on anti-narcotics missions and helicopter maintenance in Afghanistan, following the row over Ukraine.
Afghanistan is dependent on both US military assistance and Russian logistics support, and the freeze in cooperation is now likely to hit a nation that has only just begun recovering from decades of armed conflicts.
"I hope this cooperation will continue," the ambassador said, citing the country's significance to the stability of the entire Central Asia region. He cited the importance of Moscow's recent $4 billion cash injection for Kabul to overhaul its fleet of Russian-made helicopters.
Moscow has been actively working with Kabul over the past two years, with Russian experts helping the nation modernize its Soviet-built infrastructure. Ambassador Karzai said he expected this partnership to continue and evolve.
A new page in Russian-Afghan relations was opened in January 2011 during President Karzai's visit to Moscow, where he and his Russian counterpart laid the foundation of a new intergovernmental committee on economic and trade cooperation. A third meeting of the committee is scheduled for this summer, the diplomat said.
Ambassador Karzai invited Russian companies to take a proactive part in reviving Afghanistan's infrastructure, building roads, railways, bridges and hydropower plants. He said energy firms were also welcome to explore and develop the nation's natural resources, including gas and oil fields.
"We are ready to give Russia some projects without a tender. It is a special offer for Russian companies only," the ambassador said. He also said Russia would benefit from large-scale national projects in Afghanistan, including the Central Asia South Asia 1000 power supply program and the trans-Afghan Tapi gas pipeline.
The projects could help Russia reassert itself in one of its backyard regions. Earlier, President Karzai praised the Soviet contribution to the country's well-being, saying its money always went to the right place, a stark contrast to often misguided US aid projects.
