MOSCOW. July 15 (Interfax-AVN) - Specialists of the Russian Emergencies Ministry in cooperation with their Spanish colleagues have completed the training of the first group of Afghan sappers at the international humanitarian mine clearance course in Madrid, Lieutenant General Vladimir Vasilyev, deputy head of the Russian national emergency humanitarian response corps, said on Monday.
"Fifty Afghan military specialists have successfully completed the special three-month course," Vasilyev told Interfax-Military News Agency. He stressed that the course was opened in spring at facilities of the Spanish Armed Forces Engineering Academy. "In order to train Afghan sappers Russian rescuers sent their specialists to Madrid and the Spanish party financed the project," Vasilyev went on.
He recalled that the Russian rescuers gained first experience in cooperation with the Spanish military in 2001 when 22 sappers for the Lebanese army were trained at a similar course in Madrid.
"In the near future the Russian Emergencies Ministry is planning to open a similar training center in Kabul. The initiative is supported by the Afghan leadership," Vasilyev added.