KABUL - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that his country was willing to boost trade links with war-battered Afghanistan and train its security forces.

At a meeting with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai on the sidelines of the 12th Shanghai Security Organization in Beijing, Putin said: "This refers both to the possibility of restoring what was done by the former Soviet Union, and to new projects."

According to the RIA Novosti news agency, the Russian leader congratulated Karzai on the observer status Afghanistan was given at the SCO during the two-day summit in the Chinese capital.

The report said Karzai greeted Putin on his victory in the recent presidential election and hoped that he would lead Russia -- Afghanistan's great neighbor -- to even greater prosperity.

In his address to the gathering, Putin suggested the creation of an anti-terrorism centre within the SCO framework and wanted all member countries to note the need for warding off the threat posed by illegal drugs.
He went on to remark: "We can achieve success in this direction by establishing a universal centre to counter terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime within the SCO."

The regional security grouping includes Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Mongolia, India, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan have observer status. (Pajhwok)