![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
. | ![]() |
. |
![]() by Staff Writers Brussels (AFP) July 6, 2016
NATO will hold fresh talks with Russia next week, just days after a landmark alliance summit endorses a major military revamp to counter a more assertive Moscow, secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday. "We have decided together with Russia to hold a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC)... the meeting will take place on 13 July at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, shortly after the NATO summit in Warsaw" this Friday and Saturday, Stoltenberg said in a statement. The NRC brings together ambassadors from the 28 NATO member states and Russia, and met regularly until the Ukraine crisis plunged relations with Moscow into the deep freeze. Russia's ambassador to NATO Alexander Grushko told AFP: "The main focus will be on the military security in the wake of decisions to be taken at the NATO summit in Warsaw. "We hope for a frank and serious dialogue on the issues related to the increased NATO activities near Russian borders and their impact on the security and stability in Europe and its regions. "We will also continue the exchange of views on the situation in Ukraine and Afghanistan." In April this year, the NRC held its first meeting since June 2014 but the talks ended in "profound disagreements" over Ukraine and other issues despite hopes they could ease tensions. Germany led calls for the council to meet before the Warsaw summit but NATO diplomatic sources said Russia had appeared reticent, apparently preferring to see the outcome of the gathering before agreeing to talks. Stoltenberg said the council "has an important role to play as a forum for dialogue and information exchange, to reduce tensions and to increase predictability". "Our discussions will focus on the crisis in and around Ukraine and the need to fully implement the Minsk (cease-fire) agreements," he said. NATO suspended all practical cooperation with Russia following its shock 2014 annexation of Crimea but kept channels of communication open, with Germany and several other member states stressing that in a crisis situation, it would be wrong to close the door completely. NATO leaders gathering in Warsaw will sign off on the alliance's biggest military revamp since the end of the Cold War largely driven by Russia's intervention in Ukraine.
Related Links Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |