DAWN.COM | World | Nato chief presses Russia for Afghan help
MOSCOW: Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Wednesday asked Russia to supply helicopters for the conflict in Afghanistan, after talks aimed at ending Moscow's rift with the transatlantic alliance.
Rasmussen asked Moscow to help Nato efforts in Afghanistan with helicopters and training, as he made the first trip by a Nato chief to Russia since last year's Georgia crisis plunged relations into a Cold War-style chill.
'Today I have invited Russia to strengthen Russia's terms of cooperation in Afghanistan,' the Nato secretary general told reporters in the Kremlin after talks with President Dmitry Medvedev.
Rasmussen said he had presented Russian leaders with a list of concrete proposals on helping Nato as it ramps up efforts to put down the Taliban insurgency.
I think Russia could contribute in a very concrete way by providing helicopters, helicopter training and spare parts, he said. The other proposals involved training Afghan police and fighting drug trafficking, he added.
Nato spokesman James Appathurai said the helicopters would be for use by the Afghan government. Moscow has already provided Kabul with two helicopters for humanitarian purposes.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who was present at the talks, said that Medvedev had given the order to review the Nato requests.
Rasmussen, a former Danish prime minister, has made improving ties with Russia a priority since he took over Nato's top job in August, a point he emphasized in meetings with Russian officials on Wednesday.
I think that this autumn represents a new beginning in our relationship,he said at a morning meeting with Lavrov.
We may have our disagreements in some areas but this should not overshadow the fact that we have the same interests in many areas, because we face the same security threats, Rasmussen added.
Undoubtedly, there remain issues on which our positions differ, but there is no need to overdramatize this, Lavrov said.
Russia and Nato have reached a new level of relations, Medvedev said during the talks in the Kremlin.
Rasmussen was to meet Prime Minister Vladimir Putin later Wednesday and to continue his visit Thursday with a speech and more meetings with senior Russian officials.
The Kremlin said in a statement ahead of his visit that the two sides would also discuss Iran's nuclear programme and the Mideast peace process.
As Nato steps up its campaign against the Taliban, the alliance is seeking greater help from Russia on Afghanistan, an area where Moscow has been wary of involvement since the debacle of the Soviet invasion.
The Kommersant newspaper, citing an unnamed Russian diplomat, reported that Rasmussen would be seeking to broaden an arrangement that lets Nato ship non-lethal supplies to Afghanistan by railroad through Russia.
The United States and Russia in July agreed a similar deal on sending troops and military equipment to Afghanistan via flights through Russian airspace.
The importance of transit via Russia has grown over the past year as insurgent attacks on military convoys have become more frequent in Pakistan, Afghanistan's neighbour to the south. -AFP
MOSCOW: Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Wednesday asked Russia to supply helicopters for the conflict in Afghanistan, after talks aimed at ending Moscow's rift with the transatlantic alliance.
Rasmussen asked Moscow to help Nato efforts in Afghanistan with helicopters and training, as he made the first trip by a Nato chief to Russia since last year's Georgia crisis plunged relations into a Cold War-style chill.
'Today I have invited Russia to strengthen Russia's terms of cooperation in Afghanistan,' the Nato secretary general told reporters in the Kremlin after talks with President Dmitry Medvedev.
Rasmussen said he had presented Russian leaders with a list of concrete proposals on helping Nato as it ramps up efforts to put down the Taliban insurgency.
I think Russia could contribute in a very concrete way by providing helicopters, helicopter training and spare parts, he said. The other proposals involved training Afghan police and fighting drug trafficking, he added.
Nato spokesman James Appathurai said the helicopters would be for use by the Afghan government. Moscow has already provided Kabul with two helicopters for humanitarian purposes.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who was present at the talks, said that Medvedev had given the order to review the Nato requests.
Rasmussen, a former Danish prime minister, has made improving ties with Russia a priority since he took over Nato's top job in August, a point he emphasized in meetings with Russian officials on Wednesday.
I think that this autumn represents a new beginning in our relationship,he said at a morning meeting with Lavrov.
We may have our disagreements in some areas but this should not overshadow the fact that we have the same interests in many areas, because we face the same security threats, Rasmussen added.
Undoubtedly, there remain issues on which our positions differ, but there is no need to overdramatize this, Lavrov said.
Russia and Nato have reached a new level of relations, Medvedev said during the talks in the Kremlin.
Rasmussen was to meet Prime Minister Vladimir Putin later Wednesday and to continue his visit Thursday with a speech and more meetings with senior Russian officials.
The Kremlin said in a statement ahead of his visit that the two sides would also discuss Iran's nuclear programme and the Mideast peace process.
As Nato steps up its campaign against the Taliban, the alliance is seeking greater help from Russia on Afghanistan, an area where Moscow has been wary of involvement since the debacle of the Soviet invasion.
The Kommersant newspaper, citing an unnamed Russian diplomat, reported that Rasmussen would be seeking to broaden an arrangement that lets Nato ship non-lethal supplies to Afghanistan by railroad through Russia.
The United States and Russia in July agreed a similar deal on sending troops and military equipment to Afghanistan via flights through Russian airspace.
The importance of transit via Russia has grown over the past year as insurgent attacks on military convoys have become more frequent in Pakistan, Afghanistan's neighbour to the south. -AFP
