Afghan leader wins aid from Russia

Ivanov and Karzai met for talks on Tuesday

MOSCOW, Russia -- Russia has agreed to help Afghanistan rebuild many Soviet-built facilities in the war-torn country.

Afghanistan's interim prime minister Hamid Karzai met Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a three-day trip to Moscow.

Russian and Afghan delegations signed 17 agreements on deliveries of Russian industrial equipment and assistance in rebuilding some of the many Soviet-built industrial and infrastructure facilities in Afghanistan.

"Russia has no other goals in Afghanistan except one -- to see an independent, prosperous, neutral and friendly Afghanistan," Putin said, welcoming Karzai in the Kremlin on Tuesday.

Karzai thanked Russia for its support and said he wanted to focus on "rebuilding Afghanistan and developing friendly trade and business ties between our countries."

"I hope that the development of friendly ties between Afghanistan and Russia will help stability in the whole region," Karzai said.

Karzai has appealed for help to rebuild his country

Russia, which has supported the U.S.-led anti-terror operation, has been eager to develop close ties with the new Afghan government and pledged to help rebuild Afghanistan's shattered industry and set up a modern military.

Moscow provided military aid to the opposition alliance fighting Afghanistan's Taliban, and since the U.S.-led military campaign began after the September 11 terror attacks, Russia has also contributed $12 million worth of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko.

Yakovenko said Russia was ready to help Afghanistan restore some of the 140 industrial facilities built by the Soviet Union.

Karzai's Moscow tour came as hundreds of U.S.-allied Afghan fighters swept eastern Afghanistan mountains on Tuesday. (Read full story)