RUSSIA-AFGHANISTAN/PUTIN-GHANI Russia's Putin meets with Afghan President Ghani

Record ID: 147705

  • Title: RUSSIA-AFGHANISTAN/PUTIN-GHANI Russia's Putin meets with Afghan President Ghani
  • Date: 10th July 2015
  • Summary: UFA, RUSSIA (JULY 10, 2015) (RUSSIAN POOL) VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN AND AFGHAN PRESIDENTS VLADIMIR PUTIN AND ASHRAF GHANI SHAKING HANDS PUTIN AND GHANI TAKING SEATS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, SAYING: "There were different periods in the history of our relations. (PAUSING FOR TRANSLATION) But in the past decade the relations between Afghanistan and Ru
  • Embargoed: 25th July 2015 13:00
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  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA247P0H6MREUK7FK0MWYGY7PU7
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Russian President Vladimir Putin met his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani on Friday (July 10) after a regional security summit in the Russian city of Ufa.
    Ghani attended the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a six-nation grouping founded in 2001, that includes China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan where all have an interest in Afghanistan's future.
    "There were different periods in the history of our relations. But in the past decade the relations between Afghanistan and Russia have been without a doubt the relations between two friendly countries," Putin told Ghani at their bilateral meeting.
    The Soviet Union fought a disastrous decade-long war in Afghanistan which by the time of the humiliating 1989 defeat cost 15,000 Soviet lives.
    Russia now vies to regain its influence in Afghanistan but is concerned about the security threat for its southern borders.
    "We count on cooperation with China, Russia and India - three great economic, political and geopolitical powers in the region - we want to work with our partners in both the fight against terrorism and narcotics," Ghani told Putin.
    A document was signed on Friday paving the way for granting India and Pakistan a full SCO membership. Afghanistan attends the SCO summits as an observer state.
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