Saturday November 24 7:19 AM ET

EU, Pakistan Agree on Afghan Future

By ROBERT WIELAARD, Associated Press Writer

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - The European Union (news - web sites) and Pakistan agreed Saturday there can be no talk of deploying a multinational force in Afghanistan (news - web sites) until a multiethnic government has been agreed upon for the country.

After talks in Islamabad, a senior EU delegation and Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, issued a joint statement saying the international community must not ``waver from its consensus'' on Afghanistan's political future.

It said the post-Taliban government, which will be debated by Afghan factions beginning Tuesday in Germany, ``should be broad-based, multiethnic and acceptable to all Afghans.''

In his talks with the EU delegation led by Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, Musharraf - who took power in a 1999 coup - reiterated his commitment to returning Pakistan to civilian rule.

Earlier, the delegation was told that Afghanistan faces a severe humanitarian crisis and is urgently in need of international assistance. The 15-member European Union has so far pledged $272 million in humanitarian aid.

Relief groups also appealed to the delegation to urge Musharraf to open Pakistan's borders to refugees, which it so far has been reluctant to do. Pakistan is home to more than 2 million Afghan refugees already.

Pakistan has been a key ally in the U.S.-led coalition against terror, and the European Union is preparing a cooperation accord on Pakistani clothing exports to Europe to help ease its economic woes.

The government has put losses due to the war in neighboring Afghanistan at $2 billion.

The European Union plans to abolish its 7 percent customs duty on clothing from Pakistan as of January and increase quotas for such goods by 15 percent. The United States is contemplating a similar measure.

Clothing and textiles account for three-quarters of Pakistan's exports to the European Union. Those exports were worth $1.5 billion last year.

In return, Pakistan will reduce its duties on textile and clothing imports from the European Union.