Article by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov to be Published in Revue Defense Nationale, May 2010 Issue: It is not NATO per se that is seen as a danger (not as a threat) but rather some very specific directions of its possible evolution, namely, "the willingness to provide the NATO's power potential with global functions in violation of international law norms, to move the military infrastructure of the NATO Member States closer to the borders of the Russian Federation, including through enlargement of the Organization". At the same time, Russia's desire to cooperate with the West on security problems, which are common for everybody and require a collective approach to resolve them, is also noted. In particular, the task is set to develop cooperation with the EU and NATO in the sphere of international security for the purpose of containment and prevention of military conflicts. I think that so open an approach is much better that the attempt to take the experience of the Byzantine Empire, which rightly deserves admiration, as a basis for one’s new "Grand Strategy" 

May 20, 2010   Russia and NATO: "sworn" partners (The Voice of Russia)

 

May 20, 2010   Moscow surprised with NATO Wise Men report

 Moscow has been surprised with NATO’s new strategy saying that Russia’s initiative on European security is anti-NATO oriented . This came from the Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrey Nesterenko commenting on the report prepared by the NATO Wise Men group headed by Madeleine Albright, “ Moscow is attentively considering a draft strategy which is planned to be approved this November in Lisbon”, Nesterenko said. He noted the report has several biased clichés of the past and some members of the group had failed to understand Russia’s new priorities. Still, Nesterenko said the report has many constructive proposals on reform of joint Euroatlantic security 

May 18, 2010   NATO Wise Men present their new strategy

Russia’s permanent representative to NATO Dmitry Rogozin is also rather skeptical about NATO’s new doctrine having written an article published in the Nezavisimaya Gazeta. The alliance wants to cross the borders of its territorial responsibility and interfere in all essential spheres, including energy pricing, routes of gas transportation, economy and cyberspace. It aims at substituting the UN as it happened in 1999 during the Yugoslavia attack. NATO wants to resort to violence neglecting international law and continue its expansion regardless any opponents, says the foreign relations expert Alexander Savelyev. NATO will stick to its expansion plans, while it should have taken into consideration Russia’s alarms. Democracy can be expanded without expanding the military block. Russia has still received no response against whom NATO plans to deploy its ABMs. They are talking about Iran and North Korea but admit that these countries will not have missiles capable of reaching Europe, he said 

May 12, 2010   The Joint Statement of 11 countries at the Ambassadorial meeting of the EAPC, May 12th 2010

The tragic historic lessons of hard war times have not been forgotten; they live in minds of people and urge us to act for the sake of peace. We deem unacceptable any attempts to revisit the historic importance of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, the outcome of the Second World War, distortions in the assessment of that period. We are convinced that honest and thorough study of the Second World War history contributes to reconciliation of people in Europe. Nowadays mankind has come across a broad spectrum of serious threats and security challenges, the rise of neo-nazi ideology, extremism and xenophobia. As a result, the experience of consolidating the efforts of the international community during the Second World War to ensure its subsequent peaceful and sustainable development is gaining a special importance now 

May 5, 2010   Baltic States hinder Russia-NATO cooperation - Russian envoy

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are obstructing military cooperation between Russia and NATO, Moscow's envoy to the military alliance said on Wednesday. "Certain countries, first of all the Baltic States, are still taking an approach that narrows our cooperation, which proves that they are still trying to portray Russia as some permanent threat to security and thus provoking others to limit contacts," Dmitry Rogozin said. He added, however, that European member states of NATO "are interested in a broad cooperation with Russia on the issues of nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and provision of security in the fight against international terrorism" 

May 4, 2010   NATO to dangle membership 'carrot' in front of Georgia - Rogozin

 "Georgia will be used for as long as possible so that it sends it soldiers to Afghanistan and allows deployments on its territory," Dmitry Rogozin said at a RIA Novosti video conference. "But, in essence, they will be kept like that famous animal that has a carrot tied in front of its mug," he added. He also said that NATO would not accept Georgia as a member due to territorial disputes over South Ossetia and Abkhazia but would continue to think of it as a "close partner" 

April 30, 2010   Rogozin: Kosovo is bandit creation

Rogozin was quoted as saying today that international law and the UN system recognize a right to self-determination, but that territorial integrity takes precedence. He also stressed that those counties that moved to recognize Kosovo did so “not out of concern for Kosovo's Albanians, but to weaken a strong Serbia in the Balkans”. “We know that each sin has its name and surname, and such bandit creations cannot survive,” the Russian diplomat said, adding that Serbia will defend its right to sovereignty and territorial integrity.  Rogozin added that some countries, mostly NATO members, lately took to disputing the right of the UN to decide on issues related to international law 

April 29, 2010   Transcript of Address by Sergey Lavrov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, at the Spring Part of the 61st Parliamentary Assembly Session, Strasbourg, 29 April 2010

Ultimately, the level of mutual integration of European Communities, the strength of contacts between people define mutual understanding and trust – and we can build security only if we trust each other. In doing so, we would put into life the hopes and ideals of the founders of European integration, and of many Europeans generations. This would be the Europe left to us by those who sacrificed their lives during World War II to liberate it from the fascist plague, by those who paid a heavy price for the tragic experience of the 20th century, which should become a purgatory on the way to our common future 

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