Russia, NATO's efforts to give legal protection for the missile defense system: Rasmussen

NATO Russia as partners rather than rivals, but still allied with the Russian legal protection requirements, the European missile defense system that will not be directed against Russia, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said Interfax news agency reported on Tuesday interview.

"Leads to greater trust is the most promising Lujing more discussion, more political debate and exchange, rather than complex legal formula, it would be difficult to reach consensus, and approved in 29 countries (NATO members and Russia), "Rasmussen said.

Secretary-General once again gave him an oral commitment in Moscow.

"I can assure you - I have said on many occasions publicly - NATO and Russia will never attack us are convinced that Russia believes that the light in the same league," Rasmussen said.

He acknowledged that "the Cold War legacy" is still lingering in the minds of some people, so he pointed out that both sides need "a greater degree of mutual trust and confidence."

Meanwhile, Rasmussen reiterated that the league does not want the joint Russian-NATO missile defense system, but independent of the missile defense system interactions.

Rasmussen said that the reason is very simple, because "NATO can not be outsourced to non-members collective defense obligations, binding its members and NATO missile defense system that the territory will be part of the framework of collective defense."

"NATO's idea, but with two separate systems, share information and provide a clearer picture on both sides, and better warning of possible threats," he said.

Russia has opposed NATO's missile defense facilities deployed near the border, saying they would pose a threat to national security and undermine the strategic balance of forces in Europe.

Russia and NATO agreed to the so-called missile defense system in Europe cooperation in the Russia-NATO Council summit in Lisbon in November 2010. NATO insisted that there should be two separate systems, exchange information, and Russia in favor of full interoperability with joint systems.

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Russia, NATO far from creating joint missile shield: report

 There is certainly little hope that Russia and NATO will agree on setting up a joint missile shield, a report released here on Sunday in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly spring session stated.

As outlined by Raymond Knops, who presented the Draft Basic Report titled "Missile Defence: the Way Ahead for NATO," the realization of agenuine collaborative missile defense effort between Russia and NATO seems to become far more challenging than the technical hurdles facing the NATO program.

The two sides' fundamental vision for the program stay far apart, and there seems to become small hope that an agreement will emerge, the report stated.

On the other hand, the report mentioned that the primary signpost for assessing progress in this endeavor will come at the June 2011 meeting of NATO Russia Council Defense Ministers, exactly where a complete Joint Analysis with the future framework for broader missile defense co-operation is usually to be assessed.

The report also said the endeavor may perhaps also be facing some urgency, not just as a result of the pressures implied by Russian expectations, but additionally as a consequence of the electoral calendars in the United states and Russia.

"Should the issue of missile defense grow to be substantial in either country's presidential campaigns, the prospects for considerable agreements may be compromised, at the least in the short term," the report said.

Russia and NATO agreed to cooperate on the so-called Euro missile shield through the Russia-NATO Council summit in Lisbon in November 2010.

NATO insists there need to be two independent systems that exchange info, though Russia favors a joint system with full-scale interoperability and demands NATO to guarantee that the method wouldn't be aimed against Russian targets.

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Posted in: NATO far from creating joint missile shield: report,Russia

Russia, China vow to enhance media cooperation

Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov on Wednesday met with He Ping, the editor-in-chief of China's Xinhua news agency, and the two promised to strengthen media cooperation and exchanges to boost China-Russia relations.

At the meeting, Zhukov said that China-Russia relations were in their historical best period with regular and frequent contacts between the leaders and close cooperation in the fields of economy, politics and cultures.

Zhukov said that he hoped that the media workers of China and Russia could further strengthen their cooperation and partnership, make joint efforts to help boost the ties between the two countries and deepen the understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

Zhukov said Xinhua is a news agency of global influence and importance and Russia is willing to continue to offer its support and help for Xinhua's work in Russia.

He, who was on a visit to Russia at the invitation of the Itar-Tass news agency, expressed Xinhua's gratitude for the support of the Russian federal government.

He said that the two countries' media exchanges have seen new progress in recent years as the China-Russia strategic cooperative partnership kept great momentum of development.

Xinhua is ready to continue to deepen and expand communications and cooperation with Russian media in an effort to advance their neighborly and friendly cooperation and boost the friendship between the peoples, he said.

During his visit in Moscow, He also met with Itar-Tass Director-General Vitaly Ignatenko and RIA Novosti news agency head Nikolai Biryukov.

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Posted in: China vow to enhance media cooperation,Russia