The Russian Federation is ready to reconstruct the Salang Tunnel and other infrastructure facilities of Afghanistan. This was stated by the Russian ambassador to Afghanistan Andrei Avetisyan on Sunday.

According to the diplomat, Russia has recently put forward proposals for the reconstruction of the strategic Salang Tunnel. “Now, we are waiting for a reply,” Avetisyan said in a TV interview.

Russia is also ready to cooperate with Afghanistan in military and military-technical areas, said the Russian ambassador.

In 2001, Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry signed a memorandum in Kabul on the reconstruction of the tunnel. Under the document, France and Britain were expected to finance the project. Later, French and Turkish experts were involved in the reconstruction of the tunnel, but according to Afghan mass media, the ventilation system of the tunnel has not been repaired yet.

It’s unclear yet on what conditions Russia will agree to reconstruct the tunnel. Earlier, ahead of the international conference on Afghanistan in London, Russia expressed desire to be involved in the reconstruction of 142 facilities built with the Soviet assistance in the country. At the same time Russia made it clear that it must get contracts without taking part in tenders, and the international community must finance the projects.

In fact, an avalanche near the tunnel killed about 180 people last week. The road was closed during the four-day rescue operation. A large number of heavy trucks were accumulated in northern Afghanistan during this period of time.

The strategic tunnel built by the Soviet Union in 1964 is situated at a height of 3.6 thousand meters at the Salang pass and links the central part of the country with the north. It is 2.7 kilometers-long. The tunnel was destroyed in 1998 when the forces led by Ahmed Shah Masood retreated from Kabul.