Talks over agreement on British cargo transportation from Afghanistan held in Dushanbe

Tajikistan Transport Minister Nizom Khokimov met yesterday with the British Ambassador to Tajikistan Robin Ord-Smith.

The press centre of the Tajik Transport Ministry told Avesta that, the possibilities of speeding the process of signing an agreement between the governments of Tajikistan and the UK on air connections were discussed.

According to the source, the parties also discussed the issue of a Tajik - British intergovernmental agreement signature on the provision of the transit of UK military cargo and officers from Afghanistan via the territory of Tajikistan.

Last week the UK announced that it will give Leyland DAF trucks to Uzbekistan, free of charge as well as spare parts for Land Rover cars for the possibility of transporting the British equipment and military moves from Afghanistan through Uzbekistan.

The British media said the possibility to use the transit via Uzbekistan was for the completion of the military campaign in Afghanistan. The UK is ready to gift or sell with discount military equipment to Tashkent.

British Minister Philip Hammond said the transit agreement was already ratified by the Uzbekistan Parliament and will come into force after the notification about all procedures' completed in the UK.

UK and Uzbekistan concluded three internal transit agreements which would allow the removal of non-military equipment and armoured cars by rail, as well as to remove the equipment (including military equipment and ammunition) and military personnel by air.

The UK intends completing its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan till the end of 2014 when part of British equipment will be left in the country or destroyed.