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Russia and Afghanistan in new agreement

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has hailed a new era of relations with Afghanistan after visiting interim leader Hamid Karzai signed 16 memoranda on a variety of projects ranging from road construction and agriculture to gas pipelines.

Mr Putin says the international community must help the interim government set up a normal political system and armed forces that can guarantee national security.

In the war zone, Afghan commanders are claiming to have seized major Taliban and Al Qaeda positions in the eastern mountains as part of Operation Anaconda.

Jonathan Harley reports.

The key Shahi Kot valley, nestled in the freezing Arma Mountains, is believed to have been one of the key Taliban and Al Qaeda holdouts, and has been a major focus of Operation Anaconda which began on March the second. But a three- pronged attack by local Afghan and U-S troops has met no resistance, according to Afghan commanders. The advance coincided with a fresh wave of hundreds Afghan government forces heading into the snow-covered mountains. Meanwhile, about 600 American troops have returned from the battle-field to the Bagram Air base north of Kabul since Sunday. It's not clear how many Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters remain in the Arma mountains - but American officials say there has been no accurate or sustained fire in the last five days.

13/03/2002 12:44:18 | ABC Radio Australia News

More Asia Breaking News 21/03/2002 12:02:46 Workers' unrest in China's North-east 21/03/2002 12:02:47 Coalition troops in Afghanistan expect more attacks 21/03/2002 12:02:44 Hun Sen says UN has three months to negotiate on Khmer Rouge 21/03/2002 12:02:45 Hanoi says 27 more Montagnards back from Cambodia 21/03/2002 12:02:50 Malaysia's police continue crackdown on Islamic militants 21/03/2002 12:02:51 Cambodian PM dismisses claim of a royal involvement with rebels

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