Sochi: Russia and NATO failed to agree on missile defence

In Sochi on the visiting session of the Council Russia-NATO the Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen spoke for the creation of two missile defence systems, while Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, defended the principle of a sectoral approach to cooperation.

Negotiation between Russia and NATO threatened to reach a deadlock – the positions of Russia and NATO countries on the deployment of US missile defence in Europe looked like too polar ones. Contradictions could be overwhelming; therefore, a meeting of the permanent representatives of NATO and Russia was organized in Sochi. The confrontation was avoided, although the counterparties failed to reach an agreement.

"Our collaboration on missile defence demonstrates that NATO and Russia can build security together," said Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev supported the mood of the concluded negotiations. "We are generally encouraged by the achieved results," said the Russian President.

In Sochi the counterparties agreed on continuing the dialogue. Both Russia and NATO have expressed the cautious confidence that they will be able to reach an agreement on the principles of the missile defence system deployment in Europe at the NATO Summit in Chicago, which will be held in 2012.

Let us note that in the context of the NATO's intention to deploy a missile defence systems in the former Eastern European states, Russia insisted on the integration into the new missile defence system and on the legal guarantees that the security system under creation would be not directed against Russia. Otherwise, Moscow warned about Russia's reaction – the building-up its missile defence forces with new missiles at the borders with Europe or the withdrawal of the new agreement on SNF-3, which was signed by Presidents Medvedev and Obama in April 2010.