NATO and Kazakhstan signed on Wednesday a deal which would allow the alliance to transport its Afghanistan-bound military cargo via the territory of the Central Asian state.
"I have today signed, with the foreign minister of Kazakhstan, an agreement that will allow the transit through Kazakhstan of supplies for NATO and partner forces," NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in a statement.
"This allows supplies for our forces to start moving from Europe to Afghanistan, beginning in the coming days, complementing the very important transit route through Pakistan," he said.
Washington has been searching for new ways to transport cargo to Afghanistan to reduce its reliance on a transit route through Pakistan amid frequent attacks by the Taliban.
In April 2009, Ukraine allowed the U.S. to transit its Afghanistan-bound cargoes through its territory. A day after, the U.S. and Uzbekistan signed an agreement on the transit of non-lethal supplies.
On Tuesday, Russian and NATO chiefs of staff approved a framework military cooperation treaty which reportedly includes Russia's support for the U.S.-led military operation in Afghanistan, specifically military transit via Russian airspace.
BRUSSELS, January 27 (RIA Novosti)
