BUCHAREST - NATO and Russia will sign transit agreement on Friday allowing the Western alliance to use Russian land to deliver non-lethal supplies to its troops in Afghanistan, a NATO spokeswoman said.
However, the agreement - to be showcased at a NATO-Russia summit as evidence of cooperation between the former foe - will not cover movements of troops or air transit arrangements as initially sought by the 26-nation alliance.
“It’s been done. It will cover land transit of non-lethal equipment. Air transit is not for today,” the NATO spokeswoman said before a meeting between alliance leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bucharest.
She said the term non-lethal supplies covered everything from food to certain military equipment. She did not say why troops or air transit would not be covered in the pact, to be signed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said last month he was hopeful of increased cooperation with Russia.
An alliance spokesman said at that time that negotiations were taking place on land and air corridors for troops and equipment, plus the possibility of boosting existing cooperation on training local counter-narcotics officials.a land
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