Russia is willing to revive joint projects with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Afghanistan after receiving signals of that nature from the Western military alliance, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Director of the Second Asian Department said Monday.
“Certain signals are there, but these are just signals and only words, although we do not see practical steps from NATO yet. They say Afghanistan is a common subject that concerns both Russia and NATO, and we have to somehow work together. Great, let us go back to the projects that we have previously discussed and which you, NATO, have suspended,” Zamir Kabulov told RIA Novosti, a Russian news agency.
In an interview with Sputnik, Afghan National Security Adviser (ANSA) Haneef Atmar said last week Kabul hoped for renewed Russia-NATO cooperation on Afghanistan in the interests of all three sides.
Deploying a few thousand troops in Afghanistan will not help secure the country from terrorism, Kabulov said.
This comes after U.S President Barack Obama announced early last month a course-reversal to maintain an 8,400-strong troop presence in Afghanistan, arguing that the security situation “remains precarious” from the Taliban threat.
“What they are adding is a pittance. A hundred thousand Americans in Afghanistan could not accomplish the task, an extra thousand will clearly be unable to handle it. It is clear to any person who is not versed in Afghan affairs,” Kabulov said.
Last week, Atmar held high level talks with his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev that the Russian side expressed readiness to support the Afghan Air Force.
Atmar said the Afghan delegation submitted its request for repairs and service of its Mi-35 helicopter fleet.
He added that he held talks with 13 Russian military, diplomatic, security and economic ministries where he discussed the expansion of bilateral military and security ties in the fight against terrorism – especially regarding the provision of support to the Afghan National Defense Force.
He was also said Afghanistan was interested in buying Russian-made Mi-35 combat helicopters to combat terrorists.http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/26540-russia-willing-to-revive-afghan-cooperation-on-natos-offer
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