Russia expects that after overcoming the political crisis in Afghanistan that developed after the presidential election, military cooperation between Moscow and Kabul would intensify, Russian Ambassador to the Islamic Republic Alexander Mantytsky told RIA Novosti.
"In connection with the course being pursued by the Afghan authorities together with the US troops and the NATO Resolute support mission to build the Afghan army on the Western model, our cooperation in the military-technical sphere is not on the bilateral Russian-Afghan agenda. Nevertheless, we are always ready to constructively consider requests from our Afghan partners for the supply of Russian weapons and military equipment. The reliability of our Mi-family helicopters, their performance and adaptability to Afghan conditions have been repeatedly noted by the highest command staff of the Afghan national security forces. We hope that in the framework of cooperation with the new government of the IRA, which will be determined by the results of the settlement of differences between Ghani and Abdullah, we will be able to intensify our cooperation in this area," the Russian diplomat said, in particular.
Mantytsky also said that Kabul requested Moscow to assist in the fight against the coronavirus.
"Such a request for assistance was received through inter-parliamentary cooperation from the Chairman of the Upper House of the IRA Parliament (Fazl Hadi-ed.) Muslimyar. Currently, the request has been sent to Moscow and is being worked out by the relevant departments, " he explained.
According to the latest data, the number of infected with coronavirus in Afghanistan reached 1092, 36 people died. Among the infected 40 employees of the Presidential Palace in Kabul.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Mikhail Dzhaparidze / TASS