Russia ready for dialogue with NATO: Deputy FM
(VOVWORLD) - Russia is ready for a serious dialogue with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said on Friday, adding that the organization is not ready to normalize military ties with Russia.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko at a press conference in NATO headquarters in Brussels on July 13, 2018 (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
Mr. Grushko told reporters that the Russia-NATO Council meetings will bring them closer to solving problems in which both sides are interested, including measures to prevent dangerous incidents, ease tensions, and prevent misinterpretation of each other’s intentions.
The Russian Deputy FM made the statement amid NATO's ongoing Trident Juncture 2018 exercise in Norway which is considered the largest since the Cold War. Russia has repeatedly criticized NATO deployment of forces and exercises near its border, saying that these are provocative actions that could lead to instability in the region and the wider world.