Afghan leader says Russia 'important partner,' seeks closer ties
MOSCOW. January 21. KAZINFORM Afghan President Hamid Karzai pledged on Friday to advance economic ties with Russia saying Moscow is an "important partner." Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.
Karzai arrived in Moscow on a two-day visit during which he is to meet with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev to discuss bilateral cooperation, including joint efforts to counter drug trafficking in Central Asia.
"Russia is a great political, economic and military power. In the past years our bilateral relations have significantly strengthened," Karzai said at a meeting with Russian students at the Diplomatic Academy in Moscow.
"We see Russia as a neighbor and important partner and want to develop good ties with this partner," Karzai said.
The Afghan leader said Kabul was seeking to develop economic cooperation with Russia and to attract Russian business. He marked an increase in bilateral trade which last year reached some $500 million.
Karzai said Russia was also an important partner in Afghanistan's efforts to curb the notorious drug trade. Kazinform cites RIA Novosti. See www.en.rian.ru for full version