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RF rendering all-round weighty aid to Afghanistan

“We know that NATO discusses issues of ensuring financing of Afghan national security forces", the ministry’s spokesman noted

MOSCOW, April 23 (Itar-Tass) — Russia is rendering weighty aid to Afghanistan directly and through multilateral international instruments of cooperation, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported on Monday commenting on the proposals of the NATO Secretary General to Russia to finance Afghan national security forces.

“We know that NATO discusses issues of ensuring financing of Afghan national security forces after the withdrawal of contingents of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the ministry’s spokesman noted. “Russia has been already rendering weighty aid to Afghanistan directly and using multilateral international instruments of cooperation.” In particular, as the spokesman stressed, the point at issue is the training of officers of the Afghan army and police, as well as aid in their equipping.

“Within the framework of the Russia-NATO Council, the emphasis is laid on the joint training of antiterrorist cadres - since 2006 two hundred ninety officers from Afghanistan were trained on the basis of profile centers of the Russian Interior Ministry and the Russia Federal Drug Control Service,” the ministry spokesman said. “Recently the Trust Fund of the Russia-NATO Council for assisting the training of the technical personnel and supply of spare parts for maintaining Mi-17 and Mi-35 helicopters of the Afghan army began working. The first group of Afghan technicians began working on probation at the aircraft-repair plant in Novosibirsk in April 2012.