NATO Secretary General: Russia should not be afraid of the West, but of the South
Russia should be wary of attacks not from the West, but from the South, said the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, at the 59-th annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Dubrovnik (Croatia).
“We have made serious progress in relations with Russia in terms of practical cooperation. This concerns the provision of transit corridors for the operation of the forces of the North Atlantic Alliance in Afghanistan, anti-terrorism activities and the fight against piracy, ”Rasmussen said.
“As for missile defense, we still have different views on this question, but I hope that we will reach a compromise,” he added, ITAR-TASS reports.
“Frankly speaking, if Russia feels threatened, then it should fear not the West, but the South. I think Russia would benefit from constructive cooperation with the EU and NATO, ”said the Secretary General.
Russia actively insists on the provision of legal guarantees of non-directionality against it of the European missile defense program, while the United States is limited only by verbal assurances. The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Sergei Lavrov, believes that disagreements on missile defense prevent the construction of a single Euro-Atlantic security space.
We will remind, earlier it became known that NATO exercises “Steadfast Jazz 2013” will be held in the territory of Latvia and Poland. The purpose of the exercise is to work out the "5 article" of the Washington Treaty, which provides for the use of military force to protect the ally of NATO. About 6 thousands of troops from NATO and partner countries will take part in the exercise.
In July, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the “Steadfast Jazz 2013” scenario “breathes the spirit of the Cold War”.
Information