Russia will grant its territory for transit of FRG's military equipment to Afghanistan

The agreement on the transit of the FRG's military equipment to Afghanistan through the territory of Russia is expected to be signed in Yekaterinburg.

"A number of documents are being prepared for signing in the period of the summit. They include the intergovernmental Agreement on the transit of the military equipment and personnel through the territory of the Russian Federation in connection with the participation of the Armed Forces of the FRG in the efforts for stabilization and restoration of Afghanistan, as well as commercial contracts," said a source in the Kremlin administration on the eve of the Russian-German inter-state consultations in the city of Yekaterinburg.

According to the source, in the course of the consultations with the German partners the sides will continue a practical discussion of international problems.

Russia closely cooperates with the FRG in the international arena, which "is determined by the closeness of our countries' approaches to the fundamental issues of the formation of the multi-polar world system, the strengthening of the role of the United Nations, and the ensuring of the primacy of the International Law," pointed out the source.

"The importance of joint efforts objectively grows in the period of the FRG's membership in the UN Security Council in 2003-2004," he underscored.

According to the source, as to the international part of the agenda, it is expected that the sides will discuss the prospects of the Iraqi settlement, the Middle East conflict, the situation in Afghanistan, as well as other items of the international agenda.

Apart from that, the sides will exchange opinions on the themes concerning the advancement of Russia's relations with the European Union and NATO, cooperation with the FRG in security matters, in the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and in the fight against international terrorism and other new challenges.