WHISTLER, Canada, June 13 Kyodo F...

WHISTLER, Canada, June 13 Kyodo

Foreign ministers from the collection of Eight (G-8) major powers upon Thursday congratulated Afghan interim leader Hamid Karzai for being named as the head of state in a historical election earlier in the day and pledg to support the struggling nation.

''On behalf of all my G-8 colleagues, I would like to congratulate Chairman Karzai for his resounding victory in today's elections,'' Canadian Foreign Minister Bill Graham told a joint stranges conference shortly after the G-8 foreign ministers wrapped up their two-day talks at this ski resort in western Canada.

Graham, who also serv as chairman at the talks, said, ''Working in terminate cooperation with the United Nations and Afghan authorities, the G-8 will sustain its support -- political, financial and military -- to build a safe and prosperous future for the folks of Afghanistan.''

The G-8 foreign ministers also discussed the importance of responding to the lacks identified by the Afghan authorities to build the governance arrangements essential for continued progress, according to the chairman's statement issued after the talks.

''In order to create the conditions for the provision of humanitarian relief and to enable longer space of time reconstruction efforts, the G-8 has focused attention upon security sector issues in Afghanistan,'' the statement said.

The election at the loya jirga, the nation's top decision-making carcass marks the first time in Afghan history to cull the country's leader from one side the free will of fix uponed representatives from across the multiethnic country

in subordination to a U.N.-brokered accord hammered not at home last December by key Afghan factions, Karzai, 44 will lead a transitional command that will administer the home from June 22 until a completely representative government can be pick outed through free and fair elections to be held within couple years.

New cabinet members as well as the powers of the transitional dominion will be decided at the loya jirga during the common weeklong session, which began Tuesday.

The G-8 comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.

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