The Russian Federation noted the motivation of the Security Council in voting on Resolution 1973. This motivation is plain and obvious: it is protection lives of the Libyan civilians amid the civil conflict, and the use of force by the coalition which is willing to control the settlement of this conflict. We drew close attention of our colleagues to the reports from the conflict zone about numerous victims among Libya's civil population. We believe this information has to be confirmed by proper and reliable sources. And if this information proves correct, this would contradict the meaning of the Resolution 1973, which was adopted precisely to avoid such numbers of victims. There's another thing I noted to my colleagues in the NATO-Russia Council, and I'd like to draw your attention to this fact, too. The resolution adopted by the UN Security Council implies that the process should develop hand in hand with the political reconciliation of the sides. Unless we implement political and diplomatic measures, making them the priority for the international community's attitude toward the situation in Libya, it will be practically impossible to resolve any other issue by other means 

February 23, 2011   "Any negative decision would mean a giant step back for us," Rogozin said

Russia should either become part of the European missile defense system or secure a guarantee that the deployment of such a system would not jeopardize its strategic interests, Russia's permanent envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin announced today. "If we actually believe that the third or fourth stage of the missile defense system's deployment would result in a threat to Russia's strategic nuclear potential, Russia would either have to join the system or, if NATO's system is independent, it should have technical and geographical restrictions," the official explained. Rogozin reiterated that NATO continues to insist on the rollout of separate missile defense systems on the part of Russia and NATO, which would be subject to mutual coordination. "Hopefully, we will find a solution that would allow us to avoid a military and technical settlement of this issue," Rogozin said. "Any negative decision would mean a giant step back for us," he added.

February 23, 2011   Russia to form group for missile defense cooperation with NATO in March - Rogozin

A Russian interdepartmental group in charge of cooperation with NATO in developing a missile defense shield will be set up in March, Russia's envoy to the alliance Dmitry Rogozin said. "An interdepartmental working group is now being formed. It will be created before March 18, or maybe earlier, if circumstances permit," Rogozin said at a news conference at the Interfax central office in Moscow on Tuesday. The group will be responsible for "effectively coordinating the entire negotiating process with our partners in NATO on the counter-missile dossier," he said. Rogozin, who was recently appointed as the Russian president's special representative for missile defense cooperation with NATO, said that the head of state was personally supervising the issue. The topic of Russia-NATO cooperation is extremely complicated, he said

February 19, 2011   Press-Release of the Permanent Mission of Russia to NATO on the appointment of Ambassador Dmitry Rogozin as Special Envoy of the President for Interaction with NATO in Missile Defence

The decision taken by the President goes in line with the ideas expressed at the NATO-Russia Council Summit in Lisbon, as «the European missile defence system is of great importance for the security in the Euro-Atlantic Region». Singling out this work as a separate track is stipulated by the aspiration of the Russian leadership to make its contribution to providing common security of the Euro-Atlantic space and to creating its modern architecture on the basis of adhering to the principles of indivisibility and equal footing. Russian participation in the process of creating a missile defence system in Europe is a guarantee that the MD configuration will not rest on block-like principles, but will rather gear to defending the security interests of the peoples living in the common European home 

 

February 19, 2011   Operations meeting of President Dmitry Medvedev with Security Council members

"I wish to inform you all that I have signed an order appointing Dmitry Rogozin to the post of special presidential envoy for working with NATO on missile defence issues. The European missile defence issue is very important for security in the Euro-Atlantic region, and we have agreed to work with NATO on this matter, and so we now need to take the steps needed to ensure that we make what will ultimately be the best possible choice for guaranteeing our country’s security. This involves deciding on the configuration of a future missile defence system, and the possible distribution of responsibilities among the different parties taking part, assuming we can reach an agreement with our partners, of course. The special envoy has all the required powers in this respect and has also been instructed to establish a working group for this task" 

February 19, 2011   Medvedev makes Rogozin special envoy for ABM cooperation with NATO (Itar-Tass)

 "I would like to inform you that I have signed a decree appointing Dmitry Rogozin a special presidential envoy for cooperation with NATO on missile defense matters," Medvedev said on Friday, as he opened a meeting with members of the Russian Security Council. "The question of a European missile defense is crucial to security in the Euro-Atlantic region," said the Russian president. "We agreed to work with NATO on this issue, so we are here to take all the necessary steps to ensure our ultimate choice should be optimal for the security of our country," he added. Medvedev said that the issue on the agenda was "defining the configuration of a missile defense, and the possibility of distributing responsibilities among the participants in this process, if we, of course, manage to agree with our partners" 

February 19, 2011   Russia's NATO envoy expects progress in missile shield talks by July

Russia's permanent NATO envoy Dmitry Rogozin said on Friday he expected progress in negotiations between Moscow and the alliance on the European missile shield issue by July. The diplomat, whom President Dmitry Medvedev appointed chief missile defense negotiator with the military alliance earlier on Friday, said he saw his appointment as "a task to provide Russia's national security in conditions when the U.S. and NATO have begun the active phase of implementing a missile shield [project] in Europe." "I hope that by this June, when a meeting of defense ministers of the Russia-NATO Council takes place, the Russian delegation would reach certain progress towards agreements with NATO under which the [missile shield] system does not put into question our strategic nuclear potential, which is the basis and guarantee of our sovereignty and independence," Rogozin said 

January 25, 2011   Meeting of the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev with the Permanent Representative of Russia to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Dmitry Rogozin

"The European antimissile project can only come about with the Russian Federation involvement. Without the Russian Federation’s participation, there will be no European antimissile defence; instead, it will be NATO antimissile defence in Europe" - "Our partners must understand that the reason for our attention to the subject is not our wish to join NATO in playing with modern toys, but our intention to ensure proper protection for Russia. That is my responsibility as President, and the responsibility of other state officials, which therefore is to be taken seriously. We are awaiting a straightforward and explicit answer from our NATO partners about what they perceive Russia’s place to be.  In any event, we will find an adequate response to the existing problem, whether with or without NATO" 

November 25, 2010   Russian MFA Spokesman’s Commentary Following Saakashvili’s Speech at the European Parliament

The manner in which the “unilateral solemn pledge” of Tbilisi is presented cannot but make us cautious. Saakashvili is still trying to convince the international community that there is a conflict between Russia and Georgia, while at issue is actually the long-running conflict between Tbilisi and the peoples of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which as a result of yet another military gamble by Georgia in August 2008 was resolved with the final national self-determination of these peoples. Significantly, Saakashvili also continues in his speech at the European Parliament to use derogatory confrontational rhetoric against the Abkhaz and South Ossetians. Besides, we cannot ignore the fact that Georgian leaders have often treacherously gone back on their words before. We all remember, for example, Saakashvili’s “peace-loving” televised address on August 7th, 2008, just hours before the start of the barbaric night shelling of Tskhinval 

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