Russian Special Representative to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov called on President Hamid Karzai and discussed bilateral issues on Friday, a statement released by the Afghan Presidential Palace said.

"President Karzai received Russian Special Representative to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov on Friday for a meeting to discuss issues of mutual interest including enhanced bilateral economic cooperation and the electricity transmission project from Central Asia to South Asia known as the CASA 1000," the statement said.

"Kabulov said his country strongly supports all the projects involving Central Asia and the South Asia in the interest of Afghanistan and the entire region," according to the statement.

The Russian special envoy also said "Moscow has earmarked some 500 million U.S. dollars to finance the CASA 1000 project that extends from Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan and hoped that other countries to come up to invest in the regional project."

According to the statement, Kabulov said he was expecting to receive Afghanistan Finance Minister in Russia to further explore the areas of economic cooperation.

On regional aspects of the situation, the Russian special envoy expressed concern over the rise in extremism in the region and said Russia supports a peace process that is led and owned by the Afghan people, the statement added.

Kabulov told the president that Russia has delivered to Afghanistan 3,000 tons of wheat and flour and Russian-made 40 Kaaz trucks that Russia had pledged to donate to the country.

President Karzai thanked Russia for all its assistance to Afghanistan and called for a wider role by Russia in regional and economic issues.