Ivanov: NATO is of potential threat to Russia
Russian minister of Defense Sergey Ivanov has announced that NATO may represent threat to Russia.
"Talking about NATO`s expansion to east, a potential threat to Russia depends on the character of the expansion, - explained Ivanov during performance at Munich conference of security. - If organization follows military purposes then it can represent threat to Russia. If NATO will evolve and occupy itself with problems of security, then there will be no threat".
At the same moment Ivanov didn`t exclude the possibility of Russian entering to NATO. "Russia has no intentions to apply for membership in NATO, but there is a proverb: never say never".
Ivanov noted that Russian approaches to appraisal of transnational threats in sphere of security are similar with NATO ones. He noted that Russian Federation co-operates with NATO in sphere of struggle against terrorism.
At the same moment Ivanov noted that there is a necessity of revision in several spheres of co-operation. Sides should either find effective mechanisms of advance in most difficult directions or focus efforts on perspective spheres.
At present moment the main goal is to change mechanism of Russia-NATO Council from political factor to factor determining practical activities of Russia and North-Atlantic organization in military sphere.
Moreover, Ivanov appealed to NATO to arrange cooperation in struggle against terrorism in Afghanistan with Collective Security Treaty Organization.
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