Duma to ratify Afghan air transit agreement with USA

MOSCOW, February 25 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian State Duma will on
Friday consider the ratification of the agreement with the United States
on air transit of military cargoes to Afghanistan.
The document provides a legal basis according to UN Security Council
resolutions for air transit of weapons, military hardware and property, as
well as US servicemen for participation in operations carried out by the
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.
Russia charges no air navigation duties on the flights which is its
contribution to the international effort to stabilize the situation in
Afghanistan.
However Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia retains the
right to land any aircraft on its territory to verify whether its cargo
corresponds to the declared one.
"We have the right to ask any flight to land in Russia to verify
compliance of the declared cargo with what it has on board in reality,"
the minister said soon after the agreement was signed in 2009.