Tajikistan, U.S. Afghan transit deal expected soon

DUSHANBE (Reuters) - The Central Asian country of Tajikistan will soon allow the United States to send non-military cargo through its territory for troops fighting in neighboring Afghanistan, a U.S. envoy said on Monday.

The attempt to finalize the new agreement forms part of Washington's effort to find new routes to Afghanistan following a decision by another Central Asian country, Kyrgyzstan, to evict U.S. forces from a military air base earlier this year. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, in Tajikistan on a visit, did not conclude an agreement after talks with President Imomali Rakhmon but said he expected the country would soon start providing an Afghan supply line.

"The agreement will start operating soon. At this point it's really just a matter of working out commercial arrangements and looking at the cargos," Boucher told reporters.

"Initially we worked with all the countries in this region: from Russia and down through Tajikistan. Now it's just a matter of working out practical arrangements."

Boucher's visit, which will continue on Tuesday, follows an earlier verbal deal between Tajikistan and the United States to cooperate on the transit of non-military cargo headed for Afghanistan.

In February, Kyrgyzstan gave the United States six months to shut down operations at the Manas base -- a strategic victory for Russia which sees ex-Soviet Central Asia as part of its sphere of interest.

Ever since, the United States has stepped up efforts to secure alternative supply routes to Afghanistan. It has agreed with most Central Asian states as well as Russia to use their territory as transit points for non-military Afghan cargo.

Non-military supplies include construction materials, water and fuel.

Russia has also stated it is willing to cooperate on the transit of military cargo to Afghanistan for the United States, but has not yet made any agreements with Washington.

(Reporting by Roman Kozhevnikov;)