Russia, Afghanistan may postpone debt deal signing in April

Moscow, Mar 30 (UNI) Russia and Afghanistan may postpone the signing of a deal on the settlement of Afghan debt to the former Soviet Union, a source in the Russian Finance Ministry said.

The source told RIA Novosti news agency today that the two sides may fail to draft the document by April when the signing was planned.

According to Russian experts, seventy per cent of the estimated 10 billion dollars debt, was provided to Afghanistan by the Soviet Union in the form of fighter planes, other heavy weaponry, spare parts and for services of Russian military experts.

Thirty per cent of the total debt remained unexplained and most likely consisted of civilian aid under programmes to propagate communist ideas and to educate local officials, they pointed out.

Russian Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Storchak said earlier the agreement may be signed at the spring session of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington in April.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during his visit to Kabul in February that the debt settlement will help the two countries cooperate in economic and trade spheres and contribute to Russian investment in the Afghan economy.

Russia is expected to write off Afghanistan's debt under agreements reached as part of the Paris Club of Creditor Nations in July 2006.

UNI