About 20 thousand U.S. troops have been deployed to Afghanistan through Russia since the signing of an accord between Russia and the U.S. on transit of military cargo through the territory of the Russian Federation. This is stated in an article by William Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, published in the Moscow-based daily, “Nezavisimaya Gazeta”.

The American diplomat describes as “unprecedented accord” the agreement between the two countries on military cargo transport. Under the agreement signed last year a new air route has been singled out for this purpose. “At present, at an average of two planes a day fly along this route,” says William Burns. According to the article, about 20 thousand servicemen have been sent to Afghanistan through this route since the signing of the accord.

The diplomat also expressed optimism over cooperation between Moscow and Washington in anti-narcotic and economic areas. “We have intensified our cooperation in fighting drug trafficking, which is another exclusively important area in common interests,” says Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. “Meanwhile, Russia studies the possibility of making its contribution to the revival of the Afghan economy, for one, by setting up a joint experts group that can be sent to the Salang Tunnel to estimate its situation,” Burns said.

On the 6th of July 2009, the Presidents of Russia and the U.S., Dmitri Medvedev and Barack Obama, signed an agreement on transit of military cargo through the territory of Russia to Afghanistan. According to experts, differences over the Afghan issue between Moscow and Washington were largely ironed out during the Russian-US summit in Moscow last summer.