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Russia Formally Invited to NATO Conference
Russia announced over the weekend that it had been formally invited to participate in the November NATO summit in Lisbon, Portugal, RIA Novosti reported (see GSN, Sept. 22).
"We have received an invitation for Russian top leaders to visit the alliance's summit in Lisbon," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with Russia 1 television. "(We) are preparing a report to" President Dmitry Medvedev.
Lavrov said the alliance stressed key items including the importance of boosting collaboration on missile defense, terrorism and Afghanistan (RIA Novosti, Sept. 25).
The Kremlin's chief diplomat said Moscow would base its decision on attending the event on "several major questions," Russia Today reported.
"The first is: what attitude will be chosen towards Russia? The second is: how will NATO regard itself in relation to international law, and the prerogatives of the U.N. Security Council?" he said.
Anticipated to be voted on at the November summit is a proposal to establish a NATO missile shield. Russia has been wary of U.S. and alliance plans to field missile defenses in Europe. Moscow contends that too strong a system would negatively impact its own nuclear deterrent.
Both U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen in recent days have called on the Kremlin to pursue joint missile defense with the alliance.
Lavrov criticized what he views as NATO's vague stance on Russia.
"On one hand, we are a partner but, on the other ... NATO's new members should be protected from us," he said (Russia Today, Sept. 27).
"We have received an invitation for Russian top leaders to visit the alliance's summit in Lisbon," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with Russia 1 television. "(We) are preparing a report to" President Dmitry Medvedev.
Lavrov said the alliance stressed key items including the importance of boosting collaboration on missile defense, terrorism and Afghanistan (RIA Novosti, Sept. 25).
The Kremlin's chief diplomat said Moscow would base its decision on attending the event on "several major questions," Russia Today reported.
"The first is: what attitude will be chosen towards Russia? The second is: how will NATO regard itself in relation to international law, and the prerogatives of the U.N. Security Council?" he said.
Anticipated to be voted on at the November summit is a proposal to establish a NATO missile shield. Russia has been wary of U.S. and alliance plans to field missile defenses in Europe. Moscow contends that too strong a system would negatively impact its own nuclear deterrent.
Both U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen in recent days have called on the Kremlin to pursue joint missile defense with the alliance.
Lavrov criticized what he views as NATO's vague stance on Russia.
"On one hand, we are a partner but, on the other ... NATO's new members should be protected from us," he said (Russia Today, Sept. 27).
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