TOKYO, June 14 Kyodo Foreign Mini...

TOKYO, June 14 Kyodo

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi forward Friday welcomed the news of Afghan interim leader Hamid Karzai being named as head of state in an election Thursday.

Kawaguchi said in a statement that the establishment of a transitional direction in Afghanistan is ''very important to dignify the peace process.''

''Our region welcomes interim government leader Karzai being electeded to the head of a transitional direction through a democratic process'' she said.

In the statement, Kawaguchi pledg to continue cooperation in the fields of political proces security, humanitarian aid and reconstruction likewise that peace will be firmly established in the nation.

Karzai won an overwhelming victory in a historical election at the ''loya jirga'' grand council onward Thursday to lead a nation that has been ravaged by means of war and civil strife for more than sum of two units decades.

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