'Military Cargo Transit Through Russia A Priority For NATO', Kyiv Post, 9 December 2008
EXCERPT: "The transit of military cargo through Russia to Afghanistan is a priority for NATO, said Robert Simmons, NATO deputy assistant secretary general for security cooperation and partnership and special representative of the NATO secretary general for the Caucasus and Central Asia in an interview with Interfax on Monday. After the Pakistani route NATO has been using for a fairly long time, emphasis is on the route that was negotiated with the Russian side in Bucharest, Simmons said. At present, NATO is negotiating similar deals with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Ukraine, he said. This will provide for cargo transportation for the International Security Assistance Force by railway via Russia and the above countries, the diplomat said. Asked to comment on speculation in some media that the United States is considering opening a new transit route to Afghanistan by- passing Russia, probably through the Georgian port of Poti, Simmons said that he was not speaking on behalf of the United States but on behalf of NATO and for NATO the route he had just been talking about was a priority."
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See also:
'NATO reviews Afghan supply route', BBC News, 9 December 2008
'How the Taliban hopes to choke US Afghanistan mission', TIME, 9 December 2008
'Supplying the troops through the Kyber Pass', Gather News, 9 December 2008
'US considers Caucasus to Central Asia route to supply Afghanistan forces', Amernian Reporter, 6 December 2008
Related posts:
'NATO wants transit agreement for moving cargo to Afghanistan', 2 December 2008
'Transit Russia at own risk, NATO warned', 26 August 2008
'Russia to continue NATO cooperation: Envoy', 20 August 2008
'Russia, NATO agree on transit of non-lethal cargo', 4 April 2008
