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Russia Offers Afghanistan Support to Fight Terrorism

   VOA News 18 August 2010
   Russian   President   Dmitry  Medvedev,  right,  welcomes  his  Afghan
   counterpart  Hamid  Karzai during their meeting in the Bocharov Ruchei
   residence near the Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi, 18 Aug 2010

Photo: AP

   Russian   President   Dmitry  Medvedev,  right,  welcomes  his  Afghan
   counterpart  Hamid  Karzai during their meeting in the Bocharov Ruchei
   residence near the Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi, 18 Aug 2010

   Russian  President  Dmitri  Medvedev  says  Moscow is ready to provide
   support  for Afghanistan's fight against terrorism, and is calling for
   coordinated international action against the country's drug problem.
   Mr.  Medvedev's  comments  came  Wednesday during talks in Moscow with
   Afghan  President  Hamid  Karzai, who thanked him for Russia's concern
   and assistance.
   The  two leaders are meeting with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari
   and  Tajik  President  Emomali  Rakhmon,  as part of a four-day summit
   aimed at coordinating efforts to battle terrorism and counter regional
   drug trafficking.
   NATO  has  urged  Russia to provide military hardware and training for
   Afghan  forces,  and  Moscow  has said it is willing to help. However,
   Russia  has  made clear it has no plans to send troops to Afghanistan,
   where  the  Soviet  Union  waged a decade-long war in the 1980s before
   withdrawing.

   IFRAME:
   [1]http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&msa=0&msid=1145048
   84673292008482.00048e1d3492655b8771a&ll=45.58329,77.34375&spn=77.52295
   3,168.75&z=2&output=embed

   The  summit  featured  a rare direct encounter between Mr. Zardari and
   Mr.  Karzai, whose Afghan government has repeatedly accused Pakistan's
   powerful  intelligence  agency of supporting the Taliban. Pakistan has
   adamantly denied the allegations.
   The  four  leaders  are  also  expected  to  discuss  efforts to boost
   cooperation  in  the  trade,  energy,  investment  and  transportation
   sectors.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

References

   1. http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&msa=0&msid=114504884673292008482.00048e1d3492655b8771a&ll=45.58329,77.34375&spn=77.522953,168.75&z=2&output=embed

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