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Nato and Russia discuss land and airspace deal
Nato is in talks with Russia on a set of accords for the alliance to use Russian land and airspace to transport troops and equipment to its security forces in Afghanistan, the alliance said on Saturday.
- Agencies
- Published: 15:31 March 15, 2008
Brussells: Nato is in talks with Russia on a set of accords for the alliance to use Russian land and airspace to transport troops and equipment to its security forces in Afghanistan, the alliance said on Saturday.
The pacts are part of a package of Russian assistance for Nato's 43,000-strong operation in Afghanistan which could be announced at an alliance summit early next month which President Vladimir Putin is due to attend as guest.
Nato spokesman James Appathurai said of an April 2-4 meeting in the Romanian capital, "Discussions are under way. There is no deal done. We are working towards an agreement at the Bucharest summit."
Appathurai said, "We are negotiating land and air transit agreements plus the possibility of making more permanent our cooperation on counter-narcotics training."
Nato and Russia already cooperate in training Afghan and central Asian counter-narcotics officials as part of efforts to contain Afghanistan's huge opium trade.
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