The New Nation - Internet Edition

BBC Online

Russia and NATO have signed a deal allowing the alliance to transport non-lethal freight to Afghanistan through Russian territory.

A NATO spokeswoman said the agreement covered everything from food to certain military equipment.

NATO says the signing of the agreement was one of the main aims of President Putin's visit to the summit in the Romanian capital, Bucharest.

The Afghan leader, Hamid Karzai, welcomed the deal as significant.

Russia and Afghanistan have no common border so goods would have to travel through Uzbekistan.

The Uzbek president, Islam Karimov, has already told the Nato summit that he will allow Nato to send supplies through his country.