Moscow  - Russia will sign a deal next week allowing Spain to transit supplies for NATO operations in Afghanistan by rail through its southern territory, an aide for President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday.

Medvedev will sign the transit agreement on an official visit to Madrid on March 1-3, Kremlin aide Sergei Prikhodko was quoted by news agency Interfax as saying.

Spain, with over 600 military personnel based in Afghanistan, would become the fourth NATO-member state to be granted transit rights by Moscow after Germany, France and the United States.

Securing new supply routes through Central Asia and southern Russia has been a crucial strategic goal for NATO and US forces as they scale up fighting against the Taliban insurgency in Northern Afghanistan. (dpa)