2006年VOA标准英语-UN Official Says Pakistan Recognizes Need

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
27 April 2006

The top U.N. representative in Afghanistan says that Pakistan recognizes the need to help keep the Taleban from regaining¹ power.  The U.N. envoy² also underscored the need for continued cooperation between Afghanistan and Iran, despite mounting international concern over Tehran's nuclear program. 

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Tom Koenigs, new U.N. mission chief to Afghanistan (file)   
  

U.N. representative Tom Koenigs says Afghanistan's development largely depends on its relations with neighbors Pakistan and Iran, both of which exert tremendous influence over the landlocked country.

Speaking to reporters in Kabul, Koenigs said the Islamabad government knows it has to stop the strict Islamist Taleban from spreading and destabilizing the entire region.

"The government of Pakistan in aware that they have to prevent a Talebanization of Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said.

Koenigs is the chief U.N. representative in Afghanistan and recently returned from Islamabad where he met with senior Pakistani officials.

The talks occurred amid a sharp rise in Taleban activity and deteriorating³ relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.  The Taleban ruled Afghanistan for several years until they were ousted⁴ by a U.S.-led coalition⁵.

Afghan officials accuse Islamabad of not doing enough to stop Taleban and al-Qaida militants⁶ from establishing bases in Pakistan and launching cross-border raids.

Pakistan insists it is doing all it can to secure the border and help defeat the Taleban. 

Koenigs says he left Islamabad confident Pakistan has a "growing commitment" to regional stability.

He also says both countries need to stop publicly attacking one another and try to settle their differences in private. 

"Blaming neighbors doesn't help, cooperation does," Koenigs said.

The U.N. chief says Kabul also has to work hard to maintain good relations with Iran, which borders Afghanistan to the west.

"Afghanistan cannot, and must not, isolate⁷ itself from its close neighbor and there are a lot of fields for cooperation in trade, investment, and refugees," he said.

According to the United Nations, there are nearly a million Afghan refugees living in Iran, which is also one of Afghanistan's primary trade partners.

Iran is at the center of a growing international standoff over its nuclear energy program.  The U.N. Security Council has given Tehran until Friday to stop its uranium enrichment program or face possible sanctions.

But Koenigs insists that dispute should not derail Afghanistan's efforts to strengthen ties with Iran.  He heads to Tehran next week to promote greater cross-border cooperation. 

1 regaining   

复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• She was regaining consciousness now, but the fear was coming with her. 现在她正在恢发她的知觉，但是恐怖也就伴随着来了。
• She said briefly, regaining her will with a click. 她干脆地答道，又马上重新振作起精神来。

2 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

3 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

4 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

5 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

6 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

7 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。