EU security chief meets exiled Afghan king

• published: 21 Jul 2015
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1. Wide shot Javier Solana, European Union's chief security envoy, arriving at former Afghan king's villa 2. Close-up Solana getting out of car and shaking hands with former king's nephew, Mostapha Zaher 3. WIde shot Solana entering former Afghan king's villa 4. Close-up security 5. Mid shot Solana leaving former king's villa and shaking hands with king's delegate, Hamid Sidig, king's son, Mir Wais, king's nephew, Mostapha Zaher, and king's spokesman, Zalmai Rassoul 6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Javier Solana, European Union's chief security envoy "I wanted him to know directly the kind of decisions we took in the European Council. As you know, we are ready to give humanitarian help to the people of Afghanistan." 7. Cutaway cameraman 8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Javier Solana, European Union's chief security envoy "We hope very much that the sooner the better Afghanistan will be part of the family of nations, something that now is not possible because it was taken over by a group of fanatics who run the country." 9. Cutaway cameraman 10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Zalmai Rassoul, Former Afghan king's spokesman "There are no moderate Talibans. All the Afghan people who deserve to be represented in this council will be represented. The people who will take part of the council will be based on regions, not on groups, nor on parties, nor other sectors. The Council will be representative of all the Afghan people." MS: Solana going away WS: Former king's delegation greeting Solana going away STORYLINE Saying it was urgent to get peace efforts going, the European Union's top security envoy on Sunday became the latest to consult with the exiled king of Afghanistan and declared that the monarch's great respectability would make him a player in his homeland's future should the ruling Taliban regime topple. After an hour of talks with King Mohammad Zaher Shah, Javier +Solana+ told reporters outside the monarch's villa outside Rome that the European Union was ready to help Afghanistan with humanitarian aid. "Our hope is that Afghanistan can join the family of nations again," the envoy said. "Unfortunately, there's a group of fanatics who run the country." Asked what role the king could play in any peace efforts for Afghanistan, +Solana+ replied: "The king is a very respectable person, and he's also a very respected person. We think he can play a role." +Solana+ didn't spell out that role. U.S. attacks on Afghanistan have slowed the king's efforts to put together a transitional government for his homeland should the Taliban be toppled. The 87-year-old monarch and the main Taliban opposition group, the northern alliance, which holds a slice of northern Afghanistan, agreed nearly a month ago to form a 120-member council, which would organize a national assembly to form a transitional government. The king's advisers also have been dealing for weeks with various Afghan groups who oppose the Taliban but are not part of the northern alliance. Asked how the council was shaping up, an aide to the monarch, Zalmai Rassoul, said "we expect to finalize it very soon." He offered no date or place for the assembly. Said +Solana+: "Time is pressing, but that is good, because it means there's an urgency for the peace effort to begin." The idea of a broad-based transitional government under a neutral figure like the king, who has lived in +Italy+ since being ousted in 1973, has generated backing in the international community. +Solana+, in an interview with Italian state TV hours before his talks with the king, said he came to "sound out what the ex-king thinks about the political solutions in a post-Taliban Afghanistan." Shah. country." You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/568bd2c5b40f700e25328cd49bfc5d2b Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork