A REPRESENTANT OF UNESCO INVITES THE TALIBAN TO CEASE THE DESTRUCTION
OF MONUMENTS IN AFGHANISTAN








MOSCOW, March 2.  (Corr. Ria " Novosti ").  All the countries must
take measures to make pressure on the taliban which detruisent the
monuments of the pre-Islamic culture in Afghanistan.  It is what A
declares the vice-president of the Academy of Science of Russia,
Vladimir Fortov, who is a also president of the national commission on
UNESCO in Russia.

According to the academician, the pressure can be overall exercee ",
diplomatic, economic and same soldier ".  Speaking with the
microcomputer of the station radio " Echo of Moscow ", Vladimir Fortov
A stresses that " the United States and the countries European which
have a great influence in Afghanistan and in Pakistan must show
rigidite and put an end to the disorders ".

The academician estimates that it is necessary to examine a possible
repurchase of the monuments.  However, it doubts that the " taliban
accept this measurement ".  According to him, " we deal has a form
exteme fundamentalism ".

Vladimir Fortov said that the central office of UNESCO was to reagir
officially has the destruction of the cultural monuments in
Afghanistan.  He estimates that UNO must it also take on this subject
a clear position and determinee.