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KABUL. — Russia yesterday formally handed over 10 000 pieces of AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifles to Afghanistan. A hand-over ceremony of military assistance, attended by Afghan National Security Advisor Mohammad Anif Atmar and Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Afghanistan Alexander Mantytskiy, was held here in Hamid Karzai International Airport.

“The Afghan National Security and Defence Forces received an important military assistance today. An important assistance from an important friend at a crucial time,” Atmar told reporters during the ceremony to receive the assistance.

“I am very much thankful to the people and government of Russia. Russia’s assistance represents the friendship between the two nations,” he added, while appreciating Russia’s assistance to the country’s security forces.

“The supplies had also include ammunition. The supplies have been provided by the friendly country of Russia based on a bilateral security agreement that had already signed between two countries and that the supplies would be directly handed over to the Afghan national forces,” he said.

Similarly, Mantytskiy told the audience that his country will spare no efforts to support Afghan forces in providing security to Afghans. Since January 1 last year, Afghan security forces have assumed the full security charges from NATO and US forces after the foreign troops switched their mission from combat to support role, which focuses on training, advising and assisting Afghan forces.

Nearly 13 000 foreign forces within the framework of NATO-led Resolute Support (RS) mission are presently stationed in Afghanistan. — Xinhua.