On September 1, when the academic year begins, Lavrov addressed Russia’s future diplomats – students of the Moscow State University of Foreign Relations (MGIMO). “We expect more clarity from our partners in NATO. I think this organization has been balancing between the past and the future far too long,” he said. The minister mentioned discussions about NATO’s new Strategic Concept, which is to replace the 1999 concept, as an example of such duality. Lavrov agreed with analysts that the report “can hardly be considered a strategic response to Russia’s security initiatives"  read more...

Artificial linkage the Agreement on Adaptation has not yet been ratified by the United States and other NATO member countries. Moreover, the Rome Declaration by Heads of State and Government of Russia and NATO “Russia-NATO Relations: A New Quality” (2002) is likewise not observed. Its “Arms Control and Confidence-Building Measures” section reads that the Parties “will work cooperatively toward ratification by all the States Parties and entry into force of the Agreement on Adaptation of the CFE Treaty, which would permit accession by non-CFE states.”  read more...

Dmitry Rogozin insists that if someone has doubts about the peaceful nature of such facilities, they should share their concerns with the organizations responsible for building these plants. “In the case of the nuclear power plant in Bushehr, they should contact the IAEA and Moscow,” he said. The Russian envoy to NATO underlined that the Bushehr nuclear power plant has nothing to do with the military and it would be a crime to use military force against civilian facilities. The diplomat reminded that Russia closely co-operated with the UN and China, a Security Council member, over the peaceful nature of the Bushehr nuclear project. Also, Rogozin ruled out the very possibility of NATO attacking Iran  read more...