Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who is due to visit Moscow on Wednesday, will discuss possible deliveries of Russian helicopters to Afghanistan, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
Rasmussen is visiting the Russian capital ahead of the Russia-NATO Council summit on November 20 in Lisbon. Medvedev has agreed to take part in the top-level talks for the first time since the August 2008 war between Russia and Georgia, which soured Russia's relations with the alliance.
During his visit to Moscow in December 2009, Rasmussen asked Russia to supply helicopters, fuel and service centers to Afghanistan and help to train Afghan pilots.
Last week, NATO spokesman James Appathurai said the alliance wants to discuss the delivery of 20 Russian helicopters to Afghanistan.
Currently Russia sells helicopters to the United States for use in Afghanistan, but does not supply arms directly to the NATO efforts in the country.
Media reports at the end of September suggested that a proposal for Russian troops to be sent to Afghanistan was on the table ahead of the NATO Council summit in Lisbon.
Russia's NATO Envoy Dmitry Rogozin dismissed the reports saying: "we've already been in Afghanistan and we didn't like it much."
Aside from Afghanistan, the NATO chief is also expected to discuss with Medvedev the Euro missile defense project and Russia's possible participation in it.
MOSCOW, November 3 (RIA Novosti)
