BELGIUM: Russia warns NATO over Afghan co-operation

Record ID: 741412

  • Title: BELGIUM: Russia warns NATO over Afghan co-operation
  • Date: 2nd December 2009
  • Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (DECEMBER 1, 2009) (AGENCY POOL) WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALIST WRITING. LOGO OF RUSSIAN NATO EMBASSY (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DMITRY ROGOZIN, RUSSIAN NATO AMBASSADOR SAYING: "We cannot be flexible on expanding our co-operation in Afghanistan in the conditions where certain countries of NATO cannot demonstrate even most basic partner-like relations, even on the most technical issues. What problems can arise in their heads to say no to us, every time when we speak about having indivisibility of security as a principal in our documents." WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DMITRY ROGOZIN, RUSSIAN NATO AMBASSADOR SAYING: "NATO is persistently reluctant to invite Russia to its internal formats of discussion on the future of Afghanistan. And every time, on all ambassadorial meetings somebody rises and ask what else is Russia ready to provide as logistics support for the ISAF troops in Afghanistan. Indeed, I believe that this approach is very selfish. They want to get everything from us, without providing to us even clarity of political or military aspects of their mission in Afghanistan." WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 17th December 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Reuters ID: LVA2LO5D6YXJJ83ZIQI15OSKVUDT
  • Story Text: Russia's envoy to NATO said he was frustrated at the military alliance's unwillingness to discuss Moscow's proposals for European security and said it could affect prospects for increased co-operation on Afghanistan.
    Russia's envoy to NATO, Ambassador Dmitry Rogozin, accused some NATO countries on Tuesday (December 1) of blocking Moscow's calls for a Russian security plan to be discussed in the NATO-Russia Council (NRC), a body in which the two sides discuss co-operation.
    Speaking hours before an address in which U.S. President Barack Obama was expected to announce plans to send more troops to Afghanistan, he said this would not affect co-operation that has already been established with NATO over Afghanistan.
    But he told a news briefing: "We cannot be flexible on expanding our co-operation in Afghanistan in the conditions where certain countries of NATO cannot demonstrate even most basic partner-like relations, even on the most technical issues."
    "What problems can arise in their heads to say no to us, every time when we speak about having indivisibility of security as a principal in our documents," Rogozin said.
    Rogozin made his comments after he met NATO ambassadors to prepare for a meeting on Friday (December 4) between alliance foreign ministers and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
    NATO states have said they are willing to discuss the Russian proposals, but that the correct forum to do so is the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
    Rogozin said it was still desirable for Friday's meeting to go ahead and that there were other issues to be discussed. NATO responded by saying the situation should not be "over-dramatised" and added that a compromise could be reached.
    Russia's security proposal, published on Sunday (November 29), would restrict its ability to use military force unilaterally if the United States and its European allies agreed to do the same.
    Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said the European Security Treaty is needed to replace Cold War-era institutions ill-suited to defusing tensions in a multi-polar world.
    His proposals have received a sceptical reception in Western states which say it should not undermine NATO or the OSCE.
    NATO-Russia ties have warmed since a freeze after Moscow's brief war with Georgia in 2008, and Russia has agreed to allow transit of NATO supplies to Afghanistan.
    It has held out the prospect of expanding this agreement as well as offering to train Afghan forces and to refurbish former Soviet bloc helicopters that could be deployed to Afghanistan.
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