NATO says Russia ignores calls for military dialogue
Iran Press TV
Fri Dec 12, 2014 4:6PM GMT
NATO says Russia has ignored its call for initiating dialogue on military issues.
Oana Lungescu, a NATO spokesperson, said Friday that Moscow has refused to establish contacts with the Western military alliance since May.
Western governments continue to accuse Russia of interfering in Ukraine's crisis, while Moscow says that the Western-backed government in Kiev is suppressing the ethnic Russian population in the east.
Tensions between the West and Moscow further escalated Thursday, when Polish Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak described the surge in Russia's naval and air force activity around the Baltic Sea as unprecedented.
NATO has also accused Russia of increasing its uncoordinated flights around Norway, Britain and far south into the Atlantic by almost 50 percent compared to the last year.
The US-led alliance says military cooperation is needed between NATO and Russia to avoid any unwanted incidents. NATO has insisted on Russia to keep channels of military communications open.
The alliance suspended all cooperation with Moscow after Ukraine's Crimea joined the Russia Federation in March. However, NATO insists that the military block has not closed the diplomatic channels.
In another development, Norway extended suspension of its military cooperation with Russia until the end of 2015.
However, a statement on the website of the Norwegian government said collaboration will continue in coast guard, border guard and search-and-rescue activities, as well as the workings of the Incidents at Sea Agreement.
MS/HSN/SS
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
