RUSSIA DOES NOT HELP THE TALEBAN MOSCOW, MARCH 11, 2001. /RIA NOVOSTI CORRESPONDENT/ --








Russia has not provided military or military-technical assistance to Afghanistan's movement Taleban in the past and will not do it in the future. This was disclosed to RIA Novosti by a high-ranking representative of the Defense Ministry in a comment on a new presidential decree by Vladimir Putin. The decree, issued last Sunday, sets additional limitations on the Taleban-controlled territory of Afghanistan.


	The spokesman of Russia's defense establishment said that it abides by the clauses of resolution 1333 of the UN Security Council on sanctions against the Taleban. No military goods, dual-purpose technologies, accessories or spare parts have been supplied to the Taleban regime, as required by the presidential decree. "There have never been Russian military advisors and specialists, nor are found at the present moment" in the Taleban-held territory, stressed the Defense Ministry spokesman. (nov/nog)