The Russian Parliament on Friday ratified an agreement with America on air transit of military cargoes to Afghanistan.
The agreement allows the U.S. Air Force to fly weapons, military property and personnel to Afghanistan via the Russian air space free of navigation charges and sets the ceiling of 4,500 flights annually.
After its signing in July 2009, the agreement was in force as a temporary arrangement pending ratification. It opened a new supply route for the 140,000-strong Afghanistan International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) as the Taliban stepped up attacks on the NATO convoys moving through Pakistan.
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The U.S. has sent 780 planes across Russia to date, ferrying 115,000 troops and 19,000 tons of cargoes, said Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov presenting the pact in the State Duma, the Lower House.
The transit agreement helped Moscow win Washington's cooperation in fighting the narcotics threat from Afghanistan, Russia's top diplomat told the legislators.
“Such cooperation would have been difficult to secure without the transit deal,” said Mr. Ryabkov.
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