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Berlin (UPI) Apr 15, 2011 NATO leaders Friday in Berlin agreed to launch a fund to maintain the Afghan army's helicopter force while also talking missile defense with Russia and meeting with potential new members Ukraine and Georgia. The fund is aimed at providing spare parts and training for several Afghan helicopter squadrons who will "benefit from this valuable equipment to improve the security of Afghan citizens," NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said at the end of a two-day summit in Berlin. Russia and Germany are the main contributors to the fund, which was agreed to by the joint NATO-Russia Council that met Friday. The council also touched on missile defense in an open and frank exchange that will "continue with vigor over the coming months," Rasmussen said. NATO and Russia have squabbled over the look of such a system, and Rasmussen admitted that agreeing on a common architecture was a "challenging job." NATO prefers two separate systems, one operated by NATO, the other by Russia, that would closely cooperate, sharing information and coordinating defense plans. He said talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also focused on NATO's military mission in Libya, which had been criticized by Russian officials in the past. NATO's rapprochement with former Warsaw pact members Georgia and Ukraine is also cause for irritation with the Kremlin. That didn't stop NATO foreign ministers from meeting their counterparts from both nations Friday. Both countries have flirted with NATO membership, but only Georgia remains open to such a step. Rasmussen said NATO reinforced support for Georgia's territorial integrity and was looking "forward to progress" when it comes to democratic and military reforms. Cooperation with Ukraine, a contributor to NATO's crucial Afghanistan mission, would be extended, Rasmussen said. The summit in Berlin began Thursday with talks that focused on the campaign in Libya. Rasmussen underscored the alliance's commitment to fly airstrikes against forces loyal to dictator Moammar Gadhafi until all attacks on civilians end, regime troops return to barracks and immediate humanitarian access to everyone in need is secured. In a sign that the West rules out a deal with a Gadhafi-ruled Libya, Rasmussen strongly endorsed calls for the leader to resign. "It's impossible to imagine that the military threat against civilians will disappear" as long as Gadhafi stays in power, Rasmussen said.
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Pakistan army to build road link to AfghanistanIslamabad (AFP) April 14, 2011 Pakistan army chief General Ashfaq Kayani launched a major road project Thursday that will be a vital trade route between the nation's lawless tribal region and Afghanistan, the military said. General Kayani visited the tribal North Waziristan region to inaugurate the 80-kilometre (50-mile) road project, being undertaken by the Pakistan army. The road from the northwestern Pakistani town ... read more |
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