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Moscow to upgrade military aid to Kabul

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW SEPT. 5. The Russian Defence Minister, Sergei Ivanov, will pay a lightening one-day visit to Afghanistan on Friday to upgrade military aid to the post-Taliban regime. Mr. Ivanov will discuss with the head of the Afghan interim government, Hamid Karzai, and the Defence Minister, Abdul Fahim, fresh supplies of Russian weapons and spares to the Afghan army and the training of Afghan military personnel, the press service of the Russian Defence Ministry said.

Defence Ministry sources were also quoted as saying that Mr. Ivanov would sign a five-year agreement on Russia's military and technological assistance to Afghanistan. The accord envisages the supply of firearms, munitions, spares, as well as communication and other equipment. Earlier this month the Russian Defence Chief said Russia wouldn't be supplying "new, powerful or super-powerful offensive weapon systems'' to Afghanistan, but instead would aid in restoring the Soviet-built artillery and machinery that accounts for 90 per cent of Afghanistan's arsenal. Russia will also train Afghan officers at a Russian military base in Tajikistan and at military schools in Russia.

In expanding its military aid to Afghanistan, Russia is vying for influence on the Afghan military with the United States and other Western nations.

Despite a shortage of funds, Russia has the advantage of being a long-time supplier of weapons to the Afghan military.

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