Medvedev, who will hold a quadrilateral summit with the presidents of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan later today, met Karzai and discussed terrorism and situation in the region.
Russian president Dmitry Medevedev today assured his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai of all help in combating terrorism and restoring peace in the war-torn country.
Medevedev, who will hold a quadrilateral summit with the presidents of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan later today, met Karzai in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, during which the two leaders discussed terrorism and situation in the region.
"Russia definitely supports efforts of Afghanistan in restoring civic peace in the country," Medvedev told Karzai during the meeting.
"We back the struggle of the Afghan government against terrorism and are ready to provide aid in this direction," the Russian president said.
He also pledged economic and other assistance to Afghanistan in its developmental projects.
Medvedev, however, said the problem of illegal drug trafficking from Afghanistan is a matter of concern for Russia.
"However, it would be wrong to project it as only Afghanistan's problem, this is a regional problem, a problem for Russia also. We will give you all possible help in fighting it," Medvedev said in his televised remarks.
Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari will also attend the summit during which the efforts to assist the Afghan government in restoring peace in the country will be discussed.
Kremlin foreign policy aide Sergei Prikhodko had yesterday said the Presidents of four countries will discuss the stepping up of regional cooperation in the efforts to assist the stabilisation of the situation in Afghanistan and on the Afghan-Pakistani border with the participation of authoritative organisations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Collective Security Treaty Organisation.
"Drug crime is inseparably linked with terrorism, providing the necessary funding to militants. The Russian position is that it is necessary to combat the Afghan drug threat on a complex basis, delivering massive strikes at all its links, from the destruction of drug crops within the country to intercepting the supplies of chemical precursors to Afghanistan from aboard," he said.
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