Kathmandu: A joint press statement by the RF-US working group on Counter-terrorism held its eighth session on July 26 in the US which says among others that ” First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Trubnikov and US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage co-chaired the Working Group session.

This was the first session of the Group with a broadened mandate, which was endorsed by President Putin and President Bush during the Russia-US Summit in May in Moscow. The delegations discussed a range of key regional issues, including recent developments in Afghanistan, in Central Asia, in relations between India and Pakistan, in Southeast Asia, and Yemen. They underscored the need to cut off sources of terrorist financing. They also discussed certain issues regarding Iraq and Iran.

Both sides assessed positively the developments in Afghanistan, the progress made in implementation of the Bonn Agreements, and the outcome of the extraordinary Loya Jirga. They expressed their strong support for the Afghan Transitional Administration (ATA) and for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in implementing its mandate. The sides support further development of the political reconstruction process, the social and economic revival of Afghanistan, the eradication of terrorism, and the establishment of a lasting peace and stability.

Both sides agreed that a regrouping of the Taliban movement and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, in particular on its southern and southeastern borders, poses a serious threat both to Afghanistan and to peace and stability in the region- says a press release issued by the RF embassy in Kathmandu dated 30th July, 2002.