Russian Minister of Foreign Affaris Sergei Lavrov discussed the possibility of Russia”s more active participation in the economic rehabilitation projects of Afghanistan in Kabu on Monday.
A Russian Foreign Ministry official has told Itar-Tass that Lavrov, during his working visit to Afghanitan, was received by President Hamid Karzai, held talks with his Afghan counterpart Rangin Dadfar Spanta, and met with the Interior Minister, and the chairmen of the upper and lower housees of the Afghan parliament.
“The sides had a detailed exchange of views on the development of the situation in Afghanistan on the eve of presidential and provincial elections. The sides expressed a common point of view on the need for constructive interaction between the executive and legislative branches of power in Afghanistan within the electon campaign period in the interests of stabilising Afghan internal political situation,” the Ministry official said.
“The need was also emphasized for stepping-up international efforts to assist the Afghan government in ensuring security and socio-economic rehabiltiation of the country,” the official pointed out.
Lavrov informed the Afghan leadership of the implementation of the accords between Russia and NATO about transit across Russianterritory of non-military cargoes intended for the needs of foreign military contingents in Afghanistan. The Russian side welcomed the agreement reached recently betwee the Afghan Defence Ministry and the International Security Assistance Force on coordination of combat actons.
“The sides pointed out special importance of regional cooperation, including Afghan-Pakistani one, in fighting terrorism and drugs-related crimes as well as that of the forthcoming special conference on Afghanistan to be held under the auspices of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The conference is called upon to give a fresh impetus to interaction on the Afghan track with the participation of Afghanistan”s neighbours. Both sides stated their striving to broden bilateral political and interparliamentary contacts. They discussed prospects for Russia”s more active participation in projects for the rehabilitation of the Afghan economy,” the Russian Foreign Ministry official said.
