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First Russia-NATO Council since June 2014 Kicks Off in Brussels
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YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS. The first Russia-NATO Council meeting since June 2014 kicked off in Brussels on April 20, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported, “Armenpress” reports citing Sputnik News.
Previous Russia-NATO Council meeting took place onJune 2, 2014, just two months afterthe alliance decided tofreeze all practical cooperation withMoscow overUkraine crisis.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, responding toqueries onthe Russia-NATO Council meeting agenda onApril 19, expressed hope that the meeting would "become a venue fora truly honest, equal and fundamental discussion ofvital security issues."
"We intend toexpress our concern overthe bloc’s open policy ofmilitary and political deterrence ofRussia and the continued eastward movement ofits military infrastructure, which we see ascontradicting the spirit ofthe 1997 Russia-NATO Founding Act," Zakharova stressed.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said onApril 8 the council agenda would include the "crisis inand aroundUkraine, military activity, transparency, risk reductions and Afghanistan."
On Ukraine, Zakharova said that Moscow planned toraise issues withNATO’s assistance tothe anti-constitutional coup inKiev inFebruary 2014 and the use ofNATO instructors totrain Ukrainian security forces inwaging war againsttheir own people, amongother pressing subjects.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov summarized Tuesday the meeting’s program asno longer "business asusual" and a "one-way street."
"The agenda which was agreed uponfor tomorrow’s session does not only reflect what NATO needs butalso what Russia is interested in," Lavrov said late Tuesday.
Stoltenberg echoed the top Russian diplomat’s sentiment that convening the Russia-NATO Council "does not mean that we are back tobusiness asnormal."
The NATO-Russia Council was created in2002 asa mechanism forconsultations and cooperation betweenNATO member states and Russia ona wide range ofsecurity issues.
The format was suspended in2014 amidstained relations overthe Ukrainian crisis, asthe alliance accused Moscow ofthe involvement inthe conflict.
Russia has repeatedly dismissed the allegations ofmeddling inUkrainian affairs and stressed that NATO's military expansion and increased presence nearRussian borders undermines regional security.
