Russia, NATO defence ministers to discuss international security

Brussels, June 13 (Itar-Tass) -- Russian Defence Minister Anatoly
Serdyukov will participate in a meeting of the Russia-NATO Council at the level of the defence ministers here on Friday. The interlocutors will discuss pressing problems of international security and the struggle with terrorism, press secretary of the Russian defence minister Colonel Alexei Kuznetsov said on Thursday.

"The participants of the council's meeting will discuss current and long-term issues of Russia-NATO relations, pressing problems of
international security, the struggle with terrorism and the settlement of crisis situations," Kuznetsov said. The defence ministers "are expected to focus attention on some unsettled problems, particularly the deployment on the European continent of some elements of a U.S. strategic missile defense system, the control over armaments in Europe and the NATO expansion," the press secretary said.

"During his visit in the Belgian capital Anatoly Serdyukov will also
have several bilateral meetings, particularly with Belgian Defence
Minister Pieter de Crem and NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer,"
Kuznetsov said.

The legal basis for cooperation with NATO was laid down in the
Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between NATO
and the Russian Federation signed on May 27, 1997.

According to the Russian Defence Ministry, Russia and NATO are
developing their relations in the following directions: the counteraction
to international terrorism, the settlement of crisis situations, the
struggle with the proliferation of mass destruction weapons, nuclear
security, the control over armaments, the development of concepts for
European theatre missile defense systems, joint search-and-rescue
operations for the crews of submarines and ships in distress and other
issues.