Russia has allowed a first shipment of US equipment bound for Afghanistan to cross its territory in support of Western operations there, Interfax news agency said Tuesday. The report cited unnamed diplomatic sources saying that the shipment, containing non-lethal supplies for US troops, had reached Russia's border with Kazakhstan.
"The transit of US non-military cargoes is being carried out within the framework of the agreement reached last year between Russia and Nato on the delivery of non-military cargoes for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan," the sources were quoted as saying.
The shipment was "a first test of similar co-operation with the United States," said one source, according to Interfax. The report came as relations between Moscow and Washington have shown signs of warming under the new US administration of President Barack Obama, with officials touting Afghanistan as a possible area of co-operation. The US embassy in Moscow could not immediately confirm Tuesday's report that the shipment had crossed Russia.