- Title: RUSSIA: INAUGATION CEREMONY HELD FOR NATO'S FIRST LIASON OFFICE IN MOSCOW
- Date: 27th May 2002
- Summary: (W5) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (MAY 27, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SCU: NATO, RUSSIAN AND BELGIAN (HOME OF NATO HEADQUARTERS) FLAGS OUTSIDE BUILDING; PAN DOWN TO NATO AND RUSSIAN MILITARY AND DEFENCE OFFICIALS LINE UP FOR CAMERAS 0.21 2. SV: MEDIA AND MILITARY OFFICIALS AT CEREMONY 0.23 3. SV: ADMIRAL GUIDO VENTURONI, CHAIRMAN OF NATO'S MILITARY COMMITTEE, AND RUSSIA'S ARMED FORCES DEPUTY CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF COLONEL-GENERAL YURI BALUYEVSKI APPLAUD AT THE END OF RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY 0.49 4. MV: VENTURONI AND BALUYEVSKI INSIDE NATO'S NEW MISSION HEADQUARTERS 0.52 5. SV: (SOUNDBITE) (English) ADMIRAL GUIDO VENTURONI, CHAIRMAN OF NATO'S MILITARY COMMITTEE SAYING: "NATO is not moving east. It is the east that is moving to NATO; let's put it this way. I think, if you will allow me, that this enlargement is a political process, but NATO is still a military alliance, with different scope today of course." 1.21 6. SV: VENTURONI AND BALUYEVSKI WALKING DOWN STAIR AND LEAVINGS 1.37 7. VARIOUS OF ADMIRAL VENTURONI MEETING RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTER SERGEI IVANOV (5 SHOTS) 2.11 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 11th June 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Reuters ID: LVA79S89ROBW8DVVLYZAWS3GDNP5
- Story Text: NATO, the West's top defence and security organisation,
has opened a liaison office in Russia. The move comes on the
eve of a summit of leaders of Russia and NATO in Italy, which
is set to establish a new framework of co-operation between
Moscow and it's old Cold War foe.
At the opening ceremony of NATO's (North Atlantic
Treaty Organisation) Military Liaison Mission (MLM) in Moscow
on Monday (May 27), senior officials of the organisation said
the inauguration of the mission represented a move by former
Eastern bloc countries towards NATO, and not an expansion
eastwards by the West's top defence and security body.
Admiral Guido Venturoni, Chairman of NATO's Military
Committee, the organisation's highest military authority, was
in Moscow for the opening of the mission which will oversee
the alliance's military ties with Russia.
Venturoni, who later held talks with Russian Defence
Minister Sergei Ivanov, said NATO's presence in Russia was
part of an evolving political process.
"NATO is not moving east. It is the east that is moving to
NATO; let's put it this way. I think, if you will allow me,
that this enlargement is a political process, but NATO is
still a military alliance, with different scope today of
course," said Admiral Venturoni, standing alongside
Colonel-General Yuri Baluyevski, Russia's Armed Forces Deputy
Chief of Staff.
The signing of a document in Rome on Tuesday between
Russia and NATO will create a new forum bringing together
Russia and the 19 Western allies as equals to cooperate on
issues including peacekeeping, arms control and common
security threats such as terrorism and the spread of nuclear,
chemical and biological weapons.
Analysts say if it works effectively, it will strengthen
Russian President Vladimir Putin's hand in taking on
conservatives and military hawks at home who have a gut
resistance to dealings with NATO.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
