&host=www.rt.com&uri=/news/nato-russia-resetting/&via=1.1 8.254.9.143:80 (Footprint 4.8/FPMCP)&ua=CCBot/1.0 (+http://www.commoncrawl.org/bot.html))
Hopes high on “resetting” Moscow-NATO relations
Published: 26 November, 2009, 13:20
Edited: 13 December, 2009, 13:03
Ahead of the NATO-Russia Council summit next week, Russia’s ambassador to the alliance has said Moscow is ready to provide maintenance for Soviet and Russian military equipment used by NATO forces in Afghanistan.
In an interview to Kommersant daily, Dmitry Rogozin noted this is part of a new cooperation treaty to be signed on December 4 in Brussels.
The equipment in question is still used by many former Eastern Bloc countries that are among NATO's new members.
“Taking into account the large amount of Soviet military equipment in disposal of NATO’s new members, we are ready to provide its maintenance. Take military and transport helicopters only – there are more than 400 of them outside Russia,” Rogozin told Kommersant.
He added that Russia is now close to an agreement with the NATO Maintenance and Supply Organization (NAMSO).
“In case the talks are a success, we will get what we have been wanting for a long time – a possibility to contact with the alliance and its members without intermediaries represented by some Eastern European countries,” Rogozin concluded.
The new treaty is seen as part of improved relations between Russia and the alliance, which were severed following the war in South Ossetia in August last year.
It is also expected that, at next week’s summit, Russia will announce its formal return to some of NATO's international peacekeeping operations.
On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrey Nesterenko said Moscow pins great hopes on the forthcoming meeting:
“We attach great importance to the forthcoming meeting in the Russia-NATO Council format, one designed to discuss problems in relations with the alliance, as well as ways of reviving cooperation in the interests of strengthening stability and predictability of the military-political situation in the Euro-Atlantic space. As is common knowledge, NATO activities are an important factor influencing security near our borders,” Nesterenko briefed journalists.
Read also: The forgotten stories
26.11.2009, 12:53
Police commander shot dead in South RussiaOn Thursday morning three gunmen opened fire on the head of the special task force police unit in the capital of the Republic of Dagestan. The officer died on the way to hospital. |
26.11.2009, 15:28
2 comments
Relatives blame deaths of Indian counter-terrorist troops on governmentA year after ten heavily armed gunmen attacked India’s financial capital Mumbai, families of victims still have lots of unanswered questions. |
Trust journalists to get the info all mixed up. Paula Slier reading from a list informing everyone that KA-50 Black Sharks and Mi-28 Night Hunters are operating in Afghanistan. Please do some research. None of these types are used either by Afghan forces nor Coalition Forces.
Russia is at Peace with all the NATO countries; even considering that some, manipulated by that organisation "big-boss" have little sincerity to express. N-PiPO (Obama) does nothing to improve fundamentaly any good relations. Moscow's high hopes could end-up being simple wishfull thinking. Let NATO prove its sincerity and America remove all military and spying installations circling Russia. Then honest relations could start and become reality. Sincerely. Jean-Claude Meslin