Pyongyang, August 25 (KCNA) -- Contradictions are festering between Russia and the U.S. over Central Asia.

The U.S. has rolled up its sleeves to carry out its plan to grab Central Asia since it started "anti-terror war" in Afghanistan on the pleas of the Sept. 11, 2001 incident.

According to information available from the Russian side, the U.S. forces are still contemplating the deployment of elite units including the U.S. Third Airlifting Division in Central Asia and building facilities for "mixed special action" in Majar-i-Sharif of Afghanistan by spending hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars. The U.S. Central Command is set to construct dozens of military training centers, radar facilities for early warning and military helicopter hangars in Central Asia till 2016 by squandering about 4 billion U.S. dollars.

The U.S. has gathered much information for strategic intrusion into Central Asia including Afghanistan in the course of fighting the "anti-terror war" for the last decade, thus creating favorable conditions for expanding the sphere of its influence in this area.

Such moves of the U.S. are facing the strong opposition of Russia which has kept Central Asia within its sphere of influence for a long period including the period of the former Soviet Union.

Russia set it as its major strategic goal in Central Asia to "return to Afghanistan" and is further expanding its influence in the region.

It held summits with Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan in Sochi and discussed the issue of boosting energy cooperation. It is set to establish new strategic and cooperative relations with these countries.

It is also taking positive military steps.

It decided to provide 27 helicopters to Afghanistan and promised to help the Afghan authorities in their efforts to preserve its stability.