30 April 2004 22:35
Russia ready to write off part of Afghan debt
Moscow, 30 April: Moscow is "prepared to resolve Afghanistan's debt problem by writing off a considerable
part of it and is having talks with the Afghan side. [passage omitted]
The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that "Afghanistan's state debt of several billion dollars, inherited
from the period of Soviet-Afghan relations, remains a definite impediment to economic ties". Nevertheless, "A
good basis has been formed for cooperation between Moscow and Kabul, first and foremost in developing bilateral trade
and economic relations".
Greater attention is be paid to "training Afghan national cadres capable of playing an active role in the new
Afghan state in the future". The Foreign Ministry reported that "the Afghan side had been given 50 grants per
year". "Moscow is prepared to increase this number." "The state of Russian-Afghan relations is
thought of highly" in Russia. "Right from the early days after the overthrow of the Taleban regime Moscow
joined in the international efforts to render humanitarian aid to the Afghan people," they noted in Smolenskaya
Square [Moscow location of Russian Foreign Ministry]. "The overall volume of Russian humanitarian aid to
Afghanistan amounts to 30m dollars."
[The Russian Information Agency, 1602 gmt, 30 Apr 04, reported that Russia is also prepared to help Afghanistan in
working its oil and gas deposits in the north, and to supply natural gas to Afghan power stations.]
[ITAR-TASS news agency] |
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