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Background: More than for two hours lasted the press conference held by Afghan leader Babrak Karmal in Moscow at the press centre of the 26th Party congress. It was held in the night Friday (20 February), and the hall for 400 seats was overcrowded (B. Karmal arrived in Moscow for the Party congress on Wednesday).

Babrak Karmal made a call to the journalists to be objective in the coverage of his press conference. He also said that he would answer all the questions no matter how much there would be. The conference ended when all questions to him had been answered. There were more than 500 journalists of 53 countries at the press conference.

At the beginning of the presser Afghan leader told about the history of revolutionary struggle of the Afghan people and recent social and economic changes in the country. He told in the details about the relations between the Soviet Union and Afghanistan since the first friendship treaty signed in February 1921. Babrak Karmal said that Afghan people consider it as a best guarantee for its prosperity and development. The friendship with the Soviet people is the will of Afghan people, he said.

Answering the questions of many journalists about the Soviet troops in Afghanistan and population's attitude to them, he said that the Soviet troops are limited in number and there are less troops in the country than some Western mass media reported. Armed gangs infiltratised into Afghanistan from abroad killed children, old men, women, set fire on the harvests, blusted bridges and schools. And the Soviet troops defending Afghan people from aggression are considered there as brothers and friends.

Babrak Karmal also said that he will not accept any attempt to consider Afghanistan problem as international one. He concluded the press conference saying that the Afghan government now is controlling all the situation in the country.