The first weekly media briefing in June by the Russian MFA Spokesman Andrey Nesterenko
Each country has the right to define its own national strategy, based on national interests. But it is important that the realization of national goals proceed in read more...
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Visiting sessions are a new format envisioning annual meetings in different countries for the purpose of developing a trans-Atlantic dialogue on security problems. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, notable politicians, and diplomats are expected to attend the session. “The participants will consider Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s initiative on a new treaty on European security,” Andrei Nesterenko, the official spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said. “They are expected to give an outline to the principles of indivisible security,” he went on. “A very important factor is that the session is taking place in the run-up to the NATO summit in Lisbon where the North-Atlantic alliance hopes to endorse a new strategic concept, as well as to the summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe /OSCE/ in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana”
"We have big problems in finishing off the review of common threats precisely on the issue of non-proliferation dossier and discussion of missile risks," Rogozin said during a video link between Moscow and Brussels, the Interfax news agency reported. "We do have problems with our NATO colleagues already having branded Iran 'a bad guy.' We think that one must be more objective and look at all the countries that have weapons of mass destruction, conceal their possession and have vehicles for missile delivery of weapons of mass destruction," he said. Currently, the risks that NATO officials were talking about to justify the need for creating a common European anti-missile system do not exist in Europe, Rogozin said. "I want to say that for now it is enough to hold consultations and analyze missile challenges rather than panic and build something immediately," he said, adding that it was unlikely that NATO members apart from the United States would be able to share the control over such a system
Even though cooperation is always welcome, some questions remain unanswered. Russia’s Ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin comments: "Nothing is clear about missile defense plans. If they stipulate a routine deployment of missile defense elements in Europe and the Europeans will have to accept them and pay for them, it’s one thing. But if the Europeans call for a joint dialogue, it’s different. Russia wants certainty as to the purpose of such a system before it takes concrete shape. Moscow wants to know for sure where these so-called missile threats or challenges are coming from, which countries are about to produce missile technology and whether they do pose a threat to European countries, Russia included. In fact, there has been no full-fledged dialogue to this effect either within NATO or between NATO and Russia so far." Russia believes that a dialogue of this kind requires setting up information exchange and analytic centers. NATO has produced no response so far. As for Russia, it’s prepared to cover its part of the road to cooperation
“At an informal meeting of Russia-NATO foreign ministers in New York we said we wanted to get a more clear picture of where this strategic concept will target at, how it will outline attitudes to Russia, NATO’s views on international laws,” Lavrov said. “There are voices, which are not rare, that NATO should spell out its right to use force in any world region if the alliance sees any threat from there. Moreover, to use force without a U.N. Security Council sanction. It will run counter to the United Nations Charter, to the principle of supremacy of law in international affairs. That is why we want to know the context the alliance summit will be held in.”
Given that 90 percent of the world’s heroin is produced in Afghanistan and that 21 percent of it is consumed in Russia, the statement by the Russian diplomat is more than timely. Up to 80 tons of heroin flow into Russia via Afghanistan. About 40 thousand people die of drug-related causes in Russia annually. And even though Russia’s anti-drug services are doing their best to fight this evil, it can be eradicated only through joint efforts. Russia has long proposed setting up an anti-drug security belt around Afghanistan in partnership with countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, which comprises Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The CSTO boasts a large number of successful anti-drug operations. One of the latest was the “Canal” drug seizure operation in Kyrgyzstan. Another partner in the anti-drug efforts can be the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, embracing Russia, China, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. At a time when drug-related crimes have assumed such threatening proportions, Vitaly Churkin says, NATO should show more readiness to cooperate
Russia’s Military Chief of Staff Nikolai Makarov considers it premature to bring up the issue of Russia’s membership in NATO. He said that neither Russia nor its armed forces are ready for such a move and that Russia and NATO pursue different agendas. As he appeared on national television, General Makarov said that the government is allocating 19 trillion rubles for a program to rearm this country’s armed forces. Under the program, which comes into effect next year, Russia’s armed forces will be equipped with new weaponry by 2020
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a decree banning the delivery of S-300 air defense systems and a host of other major arms to Iran, the Kremlin said Wednesday. The ban, which includes battle tanks, armored vehicles, large-caliber artillery systems, warplanes, military helicopters, ships and missiles, is part of measures Russia is taking to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1929 of June 9, 2010. Earlier on Wednesday, Chief of the Russian General Staff Army Gen. Nikolai Makarov said Russia would not deliver S-300 air defense missile systems to Iran as planned because such transfers are prohibited under UN sanctions. Medvedev also banned entry to and transit via Russia for a number of Iranian nationals connected with the country's nuclear program, and banned Russian individuals and legal entities from rendering financial services if the services relate to Iran's nuclear activity
World leaders reaffirmed their commitment to intensify efforts to implement the MDGs by 2015. The Action Plan of the international community for the next five years is reflected in the document adopted at the end of the Summit: “Keeping the Promise: united to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.” Against the background of aggravated recent challenges and threats to sustainable economic and social development, UN member states have demonstrated unity in their bid to make real progress in combating hunger and poverty, expanding access to education, ensuring maternal and child health, gender equality, environmental environment, and strengthening the global partnership for development. The summit gave priority attention to the task of mobilizing financial resources for development with an emphasis on assisting the most vulnerable categories of developing countries, as well as helping to overcome the negative effects of climate change as one of the factors hindering the achievement of the MDGs. Addressing the Summit, Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed Russia's commitment to international development cooperation and the willingness to continue efforts in support of the CIS states and developing countries in other regions, especially in Africa
Speaking at the NATO-Russia Council meeting in Brussels in March 2010, Viktor Ivanov, Director of the Federal Drug Control Service, proposed creating an anti-drug coalition and providing international forces in Afghanistan with a UN mandate to destroy drug fields. To his surprise, he met with a cool response. According to Rogozin, NATO officials are discussing the results of this meeting, as well as the results of a recent Moscow conference on the fight against drug trafficking. Hosting that conference, Russia “used public diplomacy to break the wall of silence around this rampant problem,” as Rogozin put it. Yet, he doubts that NATO would act in line with Russia’s interests. As for Americans, they show little concern for the problem as the bulk of Afghan heroin bypasses their country, according to Rogozin. The main drug challenge faced by the US is cocaine from South America, and the US authorities are coping effectively, using special operations, special units and chemicals to combat the cocaine threat. Therefore, the fight against Afghan heroin, which threatens Russians, is not a priority for US forces in Afghanistan.
The Russian envoy to NATO Friday urged the alliance to study the likely threats to Europe before creating a European missile shield. "We continue to insist that, before discussing what may be meaningful in the framework of the possible European missile shield project and other serious projects, we need to carry out a serious analysis of missile threats," Dmitry Rogozin told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Iran continues to threaten Russia and the rest of Europe. He said a missile defense system would make for a closer relationship between Russia and Western Europe. But Rogozin suggested Iran is not the only threat. "To settle on guilty parties in this issue means to dodge a discussion of more serious issues," Rogozin said. "It is not only Iran that possesses missiles in Europe's southern 'underbelly,' but other countries as well, so if we are to start this analysis, we should analyze all those who possess this kind of technology"
Russia believes that Moscow and NATO should properly assess missile risks before starting on a missile defense plan for Europe, Russia's envoy to the military alliance said on Friday. "We continue to insist that, before discussing what may be meaningful in the framework of the possible European missile shield project and other serious projects, we need to carry out a serious analysis of missile threats," Dmitry Rogozin told RIA Novosti. "To settle on guilty parties in this issue means to dodge a discussion of more serious issues," Rogozin said. "It is not only Iran that possesses missiles in Europe's southern 'underbelly,' but other countries as well, so if we are to start this analysis, we should analyze all those who possess this kind of technology."
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Important Issues
November 23, 2011
Statement by Dmitry Medvedev in connection with the situation concerning the NATO countries missile defence system in Europe
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November 17, 2011
Deputy PermRep Mr. Nikolay Korchunov's meeting with Group of Think-Tankers from Russia, November 17th 2011
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![Press-Conference by Dmitry Rogozin on January 26th following the first Ambassadorial NATO-Russia Council in 2011 [audio]](/files/pictures/en_file49at198.jpg)
January 27, 2011
Press-Conference by Dmitry Rogozin on January 26th following the first Ambassadorial NATO-Russia Council in 2011 [audio]
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January 25, 2011
Meeting of President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev with the Permanent Representative to NATO Dmitry Rogozin, 24.01.2011
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November 23, 2010
The STANDEX (Stand-off Explosive Detection) Project of the NATO-Russia Council (PDF, 3,7 Mb)
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Documents
February 23, 2011
About the Special Envoy of the President of the Russian Federation for the Interaction with NATO in Missile Defence, 18 Feb 2011
February 21, 2011
Instruction about the Inter-Agency Working Group under the Administration of the President of Russia for the Interaction with NATO in Missile Defence, 18 Feb 2011
August 18, 2008
Statement of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
June 5, 2008
Dmitry Medvedev's Speech at Meeting with German Political, Parliamentary and Civic Leaders
April 4, 2008
Chairmans statement: Meeting of the NATO-Russia Council at the level of Heads of State and Government held in Bucharest
All documents
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