Moscow-Sana
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for ignoring dialogue and information exchange with Russia, especially in crisis situations.
“There is no need to look for logic in (NATO) actions, as there has not been even an exchange of information with NATO headquarters for a long time, and in return all military contacts between him and Russia, which were on the ground, were cut off,” Lavrov was quoted by the Russian RIA Novosti news agency as saying in press statements today. A willingness to negotiate with (NATO), but the alliance simply ignores it.”
Lavrov stated that NATO members themselves buried the idea of consultation with Russia and buried the main rule behind the establishment of the Council of Russia and NATO, which is the need for urgent consultation in crisis situations, describing the suspension of the NATO mission in Moscow as a forced retaliatory step.
Lavrov indicated that his country proposed two years ago to NATO to agree to withdraw military exercises from the line of contact and agree on minimum distances that should not be violated by any planes and warships and other matters that were raised, but all of this was met with a wall of silence by NATO.
On the other hand, Lavrov pointed out that his country is waiting for initiatives by "NATO" regarding meeting with Russia and improving relations. NATO, the European Union, or any other country in the West, or any other region in the world.”
Lavrov announced yesterday his country's decision to suspend the work of its mission to NATO, starting from the first of next month, in a step that comes in response to the expulsion of a number of Russian diplomats accredited to the alliance, explaining that the procedure includes the work of its senior Russian military official.