Russian air transport assistance for ISAF would be welcome: NATO
Russia's offer to provide military air transport support for NATO-led troops in Afghanistan would be welcome, said the alliance on Wednesday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday indicated Moscow's willingness to use its military aircraft to help supply the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Commenting on Lavrov's remarks, NATO spokesman James Appathurai said the move would be welcome.
"If the Russian Federation wishes to make that offer to NATO, I'm sure it will be looked at very carefully. It is a good sign of good will by the Russian Federation to make this kind of offers," he told a briefing.
A Russian offer would be an indication of shared interest of NATO and Russia in fighting extremism in Afghanistan, he added.
The issue of Russian direct air transport support for ISAF had been extensively discussed in the past. But the discussions were never completed, he said.
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