Thursday, October 29, 2009

DTN News: Russia May Offer More Help In Afghanistan ~ NATO

DTN News: Russia May Offer More Help In Afghanistan ~ NATO *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) BRUSSELS, Belgium - October 30, 2009: Russia may provide assistance in training and equipping the embattled Afghan government security forces, alliance spokesman James Appathurai said today. NATO's Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is scheduled meet with President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin when he visits Moscow on Nov 15 for a two-day visit. They will discuss areas of joint interest, primarily Afghanistan, Appathurai said. "There is the possibility of Russian support for equipping the Afghan security forces (and) possibly offering other kinds of training," he said. Relations between NATO and Russia have warmed steadily since they were briefly frozen in the aftermath of the Russo-Georgian war in August 2008. Moscow has repeatedly expressed its willingness to help the war effort in Afghanistan, because it fears any return to power by Taliban extremists would destabilise Central Asia and endanger Russia's own security.

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