Russia to sign Spain's Afghan transit deal in March

Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:47pm GMT

MOSCOW Feb 27 (Reuters) - Russia will sign an agreement next month to allow Spain to use a route through its territory to Afghanistan for military cargo and personnel, an aide to President Dmitry Medvedev was quoted as saying on Friday.

NATO members are looking for alternative supply routes from north and Central Asia rather than routes through Pakistan, where convoys are repeatedly attacked by Taliban militants.

"An agreement on the transit via Russian territory of military property and personnel ... will be signed during the president's state visit to Madrid on March 1-3," Interfax news agency quoted Kremlin aide Sergei Prikhodko as saying.

Prikhodko said Russia already has Afghan transit agreements with Germany, France and the United States, though the deal with Washington applies only to non-military cargoes.

Prikhodko said Spanish cargo would be transported by rail.

Spain has more than 700 military personnel based in Afghanistan. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Louise Ireland)

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