NATO and Russia agreed Friday to set up an 8- million-dollar (5.5-million-euro) fund to maintain Afghanistan's Russian-made military helicopters, diplomatic sources at talks in Berlin told the German Press Agency dpa.
"It will provide training, spare parts and tool kits for three squadrons of Afghan helicopters," said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, speaking before the deal was finalized.
Russia is to contribute 3.5 million dollars, while Germany agreed to pay 3 million dollars into the fund. Turkey, Luxembourg and Denmark also pledged small amounts.
The fund was agreed to by the joint NATO-Russia Council, which met in the framework of a two-day NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Berlin.