Summary

TAPE: EF02/0058 IN_TIME: 23:48:44 DURATION: 0:40 SOURCES: APTN RESTRICTIONS: DATELINE: Kabul - 25 Jan 2002 SHOTLIST: 1 Wideshot of presser 2 Cutaway to press 3 SOUNDBITE: John Manley, Deputy Prime Minister For the enormous task that you have before you you can count in Canada to be with you every step of the way, providing assistance that is within our means to do 4 Pan shot of delegates STORYLINE: Canada announced on Friday that it has restored diplomatic relations with Afghanistan, cut off in 1979 when the Soviet Union invaded Canadian Deputy Prime Minister John Manley who was Canada's foreign minister until a government reshuffle last week, paid a one-day visit to Kabul, met with interim leader Hamid Karzai in Kabul on Friday On the agenda was a visit to the humanitarian projects in Afghanistan supported by Canada Speaking at a press conference Manley spoke of Canada's support for Afghanistan's reconstruction Karzai shook hands with Manley at the end of the news conference and told him: We are grateful to you, Canada Manley's visit was part of a nine-day trip to the region Canada is sending 750 troops to Afghanistan, the bulk of whom should be in place by mid-February They will work alongside US soldiers guarding suspected al-Qaida and Taliban prisoners at the main US base in Kandahar