Interfax: Lavrov notes scale-back in Russia-NATO relations

(Interfax – BRUSSELS, October 16, 2013) Relations between Russia and NATO have scaled back on certain tracks, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

“Positive results are hard to win in practice in certain areas, and progress was even reversed on some tracks,” he said at the Royal Institute of International relations (the Egmont Institute) in Brussels.

“I mean, for instance, the creation of the European segment of the global American missile shield with NATO’s blessing in defiance of Russia’s concerns and contrary to the obligation not to strengthen its security at others’ expense, proclaimed on many occasions by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Russia-NATO Council,” the Russia foreign minister said.

Russia will continue the dialogue on missile defense with NATO, he said.

“Such steps are leading in a direction opposite to the goals of building a space of equal and indivisible security, set by the leaders of our states,” he said.

Lavrov denied Western countries’ claims that a threat is coming from Russia.

“The NATO countries’ aggregate military spending is 14 times larger than the Russian military budget. Meanwhile, Russia has the longest land border. In terms of spending per kilometer, Russia is in the 40th place in the world,” he said.

Concerning Russia-NATO relations, Lavrov said the task of building truly strategic partnerships of the Euroatlantic and Eurasian security community were set at the Russia-NATO Council summit in Lisbon in 2010 and at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe summit in Astana.

“The decisions made then constitute a substantial joint action plan,” Lavrov said.