Moscow (PTI): As part of its bargaining to restrict NATO expansion in the erstwhile Soviet bloc nations, Russia expressed its willingness to allow 'non-lethal' transit facilities through its territory for the US forces in Afghanistan.

Moscow hopes for constructive talks with the US on the transit of 'non-lethal' cargo via Russia to Afghanistan, a Russian deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday.

His comments came after cash-strapped Kyrgyzstan announced yesterday that it would close down US Gansi base in the Central Asian republic, apparently under Russian pressure.

Gansi is a major base for the US and the NATO forces for supplying their troops in Afghanistan.

With land routes via Pakistan proving to be an unstable transit routes for the military supplies and Washington's strained relations with Iran, the Russian transit remains a key alternative to build up US forces in Afghanistan.

"We hope that we and the United States will hold special and professional talks on the issue in the near future. We will see how effectively we can cooperate," Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin was quoted as saying by ITAR-TASS.

He did not rule out that in future Moscow could also allow US military transit through its territory if an agreement is reached with Washington.

Karasin underscored that Moscow was interested in a successful anti-terrorism operation in Afghanistan by the NATO-led coalition forces and hoped that the closure of the US base in Kyrgyzstan would not be an obstacle.

"The US, Central Asia, China, we are all interested in an effective anti-terrorism campaign to prevent the trafficking of drugs to Europe and the United States," Karasin stressed.

The US Gansi base situated in the Manas airport near capital Bishkek was set up in 2001 as a transit hub for NATO supplies to the coalition forces in Afghanistan, over one thousand US military personnel are stationed there.

The Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev on Tuesday announced the decision to close the US base and launching the procedure seeking its closure in 180 days after serving a formal notice to the Pentagon.

Observers here note that Kyrgyzstan, which was under pressure from Russia and neighbouring China for some time, announced the US base closure decision after Moscow extended it USD 2 billion loan and wrote off USD 150 million debt.

Speaking at the Kremlin press conference yesterday after the CSTO summit President Dmitry Medvedev said the Kyrgyz decision on the US base was 'their own decision' and underscored that Moscow and Bishkek, realising their anti-terror responsibility are ready to fill the void to be created by the US departure.