Russia to participate in Regional Economic Cooperation on Afghanistan

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will lead a Russian delegation at the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan, due to take place in Kabul on June 14. Among key issues to be discussed at the Conference, the Russian Foreign Ministry named "handover of responsibility for ensuring security in Afghanistan, national reconciliation, fighting terrorism and drug trafficking, refugees problems, economic cooperation, strengthening of confidence-building measures in the region". At present, Russian-Afghan contacts are rather intensive, the ministry noted. Meetings at the high and highest levels, including on the sidelines of international forums, have become regular. On June 7, the presidents of both countries met in Beijing on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, the ministry added, according to Russian news agency (Itar-Tass). Special attention will be paid to the expansion of trade and economic cooperation. On March 1-2 the Russian-Afghan inter-governmental commission for trade and economic cooperation gathered for its first session. The parties determined priority fields of cooperation – in the gas and oil sector, energy, trade and investments, the infrastructure, the industry, transport and agriculture.