Russia to Allow Transit of US Supplies

[unhappycamper]

Russia to Allow Transit of US Supplies
February 06, 2009
Associated Press

MOSCOW - Russia announced Friday that it will start allowing non-lethal U.S. military supplies for Afghanistan to cross its territory, a vital link in an alternative route to Pakistani roads threatened by militant attacks.

The top national security official in Kyrgyzstan said, meanwhile, that the country will not reverse the decision to close an important U.S. air base, a move seen as influenced by Russia's irritation with the U.S. military presence in Central Asia.

The overall message ahead of a major weekend security conference in Germany appeared to be that Russia is ready to help on the U.S. on Afghanistan, but only on Moscow's terms.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in remarks broadcast by Vesti 24 television that Russia had agreed several days earlier with a U.S. request to allow transit of non-lethal supplies to Afghanistan.

"We are now waiting for the American partners to provide a specific request with a quantity and description of cargo," Lavrov said. "As soon as they do that we will issue relevant permissions."


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/February-2009/russia-to-allow-transit-of-us-supplies.html?col=1186032310810