Russia, US to sign military cooperation pacts

Latin America News.Net
Friday 3rd July, 2009 (IANS)

Moscow, July 3 (RIA Novosti) Moscow and Washington will sign deals expanding bilateral military ties and on transit of military supplies via Russia to the American troops in Afghanistan during President Barack Obama's visit to the Russian capital, an official said Friday.

The signing of the pacts will reflect 'the political decision on the resumption of full-scale military contacts between Russia and the United States', which were frozen after the war between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia last year, Kremlin aide Sergei Prikhodko has said.

The draft document was finalised during a recent visit to Moscow by Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Obama will sign an agreement on the transit of military and other supplies to the US troops deployed in Afghanistan, the official said.

'The deal includes air and land transit, although air transit will be the priority,' Prikhodko said, adding that Washington had not requested for transit of military personnel.

Russia already has bilateral transit deals with Germany, France and Spain, and has also signed an agreement with NATO in 2008 on rail transit of non-lethal supplies to Afghanistan.

The US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has about 62,000 troops in Afghanistan under a UN mandate to give security support to the Afghan government and stop the flow of drugs from the country.

President Obama has recently pledged to increase the number of US military personnel in Afghanistan.

Despite the recent deterioration of relations with the US and NATO, Russia continues to support the military alliance's operations in Afghanistan, and has said it shares NATO's concerns over the worsening security situation in that country.

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