NATO announced Friday that it was prepared to consider collaborating on missile defense with Russia, in an indication that relations are improving with Moscow since its 2008 invasion of Georgia, Russia Today reported (see GSN, Oct. 6).
"We continue to support increased cooperation between NATO and Russia on missile defense, including maximum transparency and reciprocal confidence-building measures," NATO foreign ministers said in a prepared statement following a meeting in Brussels. "We reaffirm the alliance's readiness to explore the potential for linking the United States, NATO and Russian missile defense systems at an appropriate time" (Russia Today, Dec. 5).
Moscow and NATO have established a panel focusing on missile defense, RIA Novosti reported Friday.
"A program on military cooperation, including the creation of a working group on missile defense, was adopted," Moscow's envoy to the alliance, Dmitry Rogozin, said following a meeting in Brussels of the Russia-NATO Council.
The first session of the group is set to be held "straight after the Christmas holidays," he said (RIA Novosti/GlobalSecurity.org, Dec. 5).