Afghans, Italians work to end kidnap

Afghanistan and Italy are working together to secure the release of a kidnapped Italian aid worker, President Hamid Karzai said yesterday, dismissing reports of friction between the governments over the investigation.

Clementina Cantoni, 32, a worker for the CARE International aid agency, was kidnapped by four armed men who stopped her vehicle on a Kabul street on May 16. "The Afghan government, together with the Italian government, is doing its best to have the speedy release of that lady who has been working in a very good humanitarian way to help the Afghan people," Mr Karzai told a news conference.

"No, we have no problem with the Italian authorities at all," Mr Karzai said when asked about reports Italy had criticised the Afghan handling of the case.

"They're right to be nervous, any country would be when its citizen is taken like that," Mr Karzai said.