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<title>CSDR 2008: Russia's Support for NATO in Afghanistan: Some Issues</title>
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<p align="center" class="style17">Table of Contents<br>
25th International Workshop - Rome '08</p>
<p align="center" class="style17">
<a href="/2008book/weissinger-preface.html">Preface- Dr. Roger<br>Weissinger-Baylon<br>Workshop Chairman<br></a>
<a href="/2008book/weissinger-overview.html">Workshop Chairman's Overview - Dr. Roger Weissinger-Baylon</a>
<a href="/2008book/joulwan.html">Opening Dinner Debate - <br>General George Joulwan<br>Former SACEUR</a>
<p>
<p align="center" class="style17">Part One<p>
<p align="center" class="style17">
<a href="/2008book/la-russa.html">Italian Defense Minister<br />
Ignazio La Russa
</a>
<a href="/2008book/browne.html">British Defense Minister<br />
The Rt Hon Des Browne
</a>
<a href="/2008book/gonul.html">Turkish Defense Minister<br />
Vecdi G�n�l
</a>
<a href="/2008book/di-paola.html">NATO Military Committee Chairman<br />
Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola
</a>
<a href="/2008book/zappata.html">Admiral Luciano Zappata<br />
Dep Supreme Allied
Commander Transformation
</a>
<a href="/2008book/camporini.html">Italian Chief of Defense<br />
General Vincenzo Camporini
</a>
<a href="/2008book/zappa.html">Alenia Aeronautica Chairman<br />
Dr. Giorgio Zappa
</a>
<br>Part Two<br>
<p align="center" class="style17">
<a href="/2008book/baramidze.html">Georgian Vice Prime Minister<br />
Giorgi Baramidze
</a>
<a href="/2008book/chizhov.html">Russian Amb to EU<br />
Vladimir Chizhov
</a>
<br>Part Three<br>
<p align="center" class="style17">
<a href="/2008book/eldon.html">British Amb to NATO<br />
Stewart Eldon
</a>
<a href="/2008book/akram.html">Pakistan's Amb to U.N.<br />
Munir Akram
</a>
<a href="/2008book/de-la-sabliere.html">French Amb to Italy<br />
Jean-Marc de la Sabli�re
</a>
<a href="/2008book/tkeshelashvili.html">Georgian Foreign Minister<br />
Eka Tkeshelashvili
</a>
<a href="/2008book/stefanini.html">Italian Amb to NATO<br />
Stefano Stefanini
</a>
<a href="/2008book/buzhinsky.html">Lt Gen Evgeniy Buzhinsky<br />
Russian Min of Defense
</a>
<a href="/2008book/winid.html">Polish Amb to NATO<br />
Boguslaw Winid
</a>
<br>Part Four<br>
<p align="center" class="style17">
<a href="/2008book/tegnelia.html">DTRA Director<br />
Dr. James Tegnelia
</a>
<a href="/2008book/rood.html">U.S. Under Sec of State<br />
John Rood
</a>
<a href="/2008book/joseph.html">Former Under Sec of State<br />
Amb Robert Joseph</a>
<a href="/2008book/berdennikov.html">Russian Amb-at-large<br />
Grigory V. Berdennikov
</a>
<a href="/2008book/benkert.html">U.S. Asst Sec of Defense<br />
Joseph Benkert
</a>
<a href="/2008book/flory.html">NATO Asst Sec Gen<br />
Peter Flory
</a>
<a href="/2008book/sedivy.html">NATO Asst Sec Gen<br />
Jiri Sedivy
</a>
<a href="/2008book/pfirter.html">OPCW Dir Gen<br />
Amb Rogelio Pfirter
</a>
<br>Part Five<br>
<p align="center" class="style17">
<a href="/2008book/lather.html">SHAPE Chief of Staff<br />
General Karl-Heinz Lather
</a>
<a href="/2008book/fitzgerald.html">Admiral Mark. P. Fitzgerald
<br />
Allied Joint Force Command Naples
</a>
<a href="/2008book/ildem.html">Turkish Amb to NATO<br />
Tacan Ildem
</a>
<a href="/2008book/schuwirth.html">Fmr SHAPE Chief of Staff<br />
General Rainer Schuwirth
</a>
<a href="/2008book/acosta.html">Global Impact CEO<br />
Ms. Renee Acosta
</a>
<a href="/2008book/soligan.html">Lt Gen James Soligan<br />
Allied Command-Transformation
</a>
<a href="/2008book/bagnall.html">Former UK Vice Chief of Defense Staff<br />
ACM Sir Anthony Bagnall
</a>
<br>Part Six
<p align="center" class="style17">
<a href="/2008book/volkman.html">U.S. Dir of Internat. Coop.<br />
Alfred Volkman
</a>
<a href="/2008book/tozzi.html">Major General Claudio Tozzi<br />
Italian Defense Ministry
</a>
<a href="/2008book/homberg.html">EADS Senior Vice Pres<br />
Thomas Homberg
</a>
<a href="/2008book/shephard.html">Northrop Grumman VP<br />
Mr. Timothy Shephard
</a>
<a href="/2008book/buckley.html">Thales Senior VP<br />
Dr. Edgar Buckley
</a>
<a href="/2008book/harris.html">Lockheed Martin Global Pres.<br />
Dr. Scott A. Harris
</a>
<a href="/2008book/schneider.html">AFCEA CEO<br />
Kent Schneider
</a>
<a href="/2008book/patterson.html">Mr. David Patterson<br />
Univ of Tennessee
</a>
<p align="center" class="style17">Part Seven
<p align="center" class="style17" style="margin-bottom: 0;">
<a href="/2008book/grimes.html">U.S. Asst Sec of Def<br />
Hon. John G. Grimes
</a>
<a href="/2008book/lentz.html">U.S. Dep Asst Sec of Def<br />
Robert Lentz
</a>
<a href="/2008book/aaviksoo.html">Estonian Defense Minister<br />
Jaak Aaviksoo
</a>
<a href="/2008book/bloechl.html">Microsoft, Managing Dir.<br />
Tim Bloechl
</a>
<a href="/2008book/wolf.html">Lt Gen Ulrich Wolf<br />
NATO CIS Service Agency Dir
</a>
<a href="/2008book/monteforte.html">Italian Milrep to NATO<br />
Vice Adm Ferdinando Sanfelice di Monteforte
</a>
<a href="/2008book/lintonen.html">Finnish Amb to UN<br />
Kirsti Lintonen
</a>
<a href="/2008book/silvestri.html">Dr. Stefano Silvestri<br />
Istituto Affari Internazionali
</a>
<a href="/2008book/yousfi.html">Algerian Amb to UN<br />
Youcef Yousfi
</a>
<a href="/2008book/karem.html">Egyptian Amb to EU<br />
Mahmoud Karem
</a>
<a href="/2008book/tarasyuk.html">Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister<br />
Borys Tarasyuk
</a>
</div>
</div>
<div id="content">
<div class="story">
<h2 class="workshop_year">Rome '08 Workshop</h2>
<!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="Main Content" -->
<h1>
Russia's Support for NATO in Afghanistan: Some Issues </h1>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0;">
Lieutenant General Evgeniy Buzhinsky</h2>
<h2 style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0;"><B>Russian Ministry of Defense </B></h2>
<h2 style="margin-top: 0;"><img src="images/buzhinsky.jpg" alt="Lieutenant General Evgeniy Buzhinsky" width="77" height="95"></h2>
<p>
A lot has been said about the importance of conflict settlement and especially
about Afghanistan’s settlement. Allow me to add a Russian perspective on
the settlement of Afghanistan because, to my mind, that is the most difficult
problem to solve. </p>
<h2>SUPPORTING NATO OPERATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN </h2>
<p>
We understand that a counter-terrorist operation in Afghanistan has key
significance for NATO. To some extent, it is a test of NATO’s ability to
correspond to the global role it wants to play. We believe that the presence
of international forces in Afghanistan and operations performed there are
very important for the security of Russia as well. We also realize that
if the Alliance’s operation fails and extremists come back to power in
Kabul, the consequences will be hard to predict. </p>
<p>
Destabilization of Russia’s central Asian neighbors would create a dangerous
conflict potential along the southern border of our country. That is why
Russia supported this NATO operation from the very beginning and supports
prolonging the international security assistance forces in Afghanistan,
which are an important component of the international community’s efforts
to restore peace and stability in the country. In spite of the fact that
the Russian Federation does not participate in Afghanistan operations directly,
our country is ready to continue rendering all possible support to ISAF
and the Afghanistan national army as well. </p>
<p>
As I said at the initial stage of the operation, we provided our U.S. partners
with all the information we had, including maps of minefields, and we also
helped to equip forces of the Northern Alliance. I now repeat that there
are no plans to send Russian military to Afghanistan because of understandable
reasons. At the same time, we will assist post-war restoration of the country
and participate in solving its social and economic problems as well as
prevent the development of international terrorism and the spread of drugs. </p>
<h2>A BALANCED AND FLEXIBLE APPROACH FOR AFGHANISTAN </h2>
<p>
It has already been said that despite the considerable time that has passed
since the failure of the Taliban regime, the situation in the country causes
concern. Unfortunately, we cannot yet speak about real improvements in
the environment there. Frankly speaking, the influence of the central government
is limited to the Kabul area—the new Afghan authorities still do not control
other parts of the country. As for the country’s economy, it exists only
because of foreign donations and the opium trade. But the growth of Taliban
activity is even worse than that. </p>
<p>
In our opinion, there can not be only a military solution to the Afghanistan
problem. A balanced and flexible approach that takes into account both
the realities of the country and the mentality of the Afghani people is
necessary. So we welcome NATO’s complex approach to the solution of the
Afghani problem. There is no doubt that integrating military and civil
components and achieving more effective coordination of international efforts
are the only ways to provide stability in the country. </p>
<p>
A process to restore Afghani statehood and economy should be supported
by effective military efforts. Here again Russia is ready to render assistance
such as professional training of Afghanistan’s army personnel as well as
arms and military technical equipment deliveries and maintenance. Russia
has already granted weapons and equipment in the amount of about U.S.$200
million to President Karzai's government. </p>
<h2>ISSUES WITH PROVIDING SUPPORT </h2>
<p>
Unfortunately, our efforts to assist the Afghan government sometimes encounter
obstacles that we find difficult to explain. For example, the pilot project
of providing Russian aid and counsel concerning professional training of
drug-fighting structures in Afghanistan and central Asia has stumbled.
When we question Kabul’s refusal to send Afghan cadets to a drug counter-action
course (a joint Russian aid and counsel project in Domodedovo), we hear
explanations that Afghans behaved inadequately. The main argument concerns
the opening of the Ministry of Interior Academy in Kabul, where necessary
training is to be conducted. If that is the case, let’s stop the project
if Afghans do not want it. </p>
<p>
Another example involves the agreement on providing military-technical
assistance to Afghanistan, which expired in January 2006. We notified the
Afghanis in advance that, according to Russian legislation, continuation
of that kind of assistance was possible only after a corresponding request
from the Afghan government. However, we still have not received any such
request. Unofficially, we receive signals that there are plans to reequip
Afghan forces with Western-made arms and equipment. If so, it should be
said clearly: Thank you, we do not need this kind of assistance. But knowing
about Afghan adherence to Russian-made weapons, I doubt that such reequipment
is possible, at least in the short term. </p>
<p>
Another point is that the final documents from the last NATO summits make
no reference to such an organization as the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO). In fact, the organization has great experience in
drug-threat counter-action, especially in Afghanistan. I think that developing
cooperation between CSTO and NATO, which had dealings with security matters
on both sides of Afghanistan’s borders, would be mutually beneficial. </p>
<p>
Certainly we know of the Alliance’s principal position not to deal with
CSTO as an organization but to address its members on an individual, case-by-case
basis. I am not going to elaborate on that, but my strong belief is that
it is a mistake, especially in Afghan matters. I am sure that developing
real cooperation with counter-regional organizations such as CSTO and perhaps
the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) can play a positive role in
the stabilization of the situation in the region, including terrorism and
drug-threat counteraction. It would be useful to build up interaction in
the area between old international organizations, especially those already
involved in Afghanistan. </p>
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