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Moscow voices readiness for dialogue with NATO

Xinhua, April 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

Moscow on Tuesday voiced its readiness for the upcoming Russia-NATO dialogue while admitting the two sides are experiencing a period of deep mistrust.

"Russian-NATO relations are undoubtedly worrying right now and seem be forgotten ...there's probably a triumph in mutual mistrust," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Peskov reiterated Russia's concern over the military buildup by NATO in countries neighboring Russia, which threatens Russia's national interests and security, he said.

"The alliance is unable to adjust itself to modern conditions and sticks to its original task of deterring Russia and remaining in confrontations with it," the Tass news agency quoted Peskov as saying.

He noted that the meeting of the NATO-Russia Council at the ambassadorial level, scheduled for April 20 in Brussels, would not be easy, as efforts to restore trust have been slow.

Yet the spokesman said Russia expressed satisfaction at ongoing talks with NATO, despite the alliance suspending all practical cooperation with Russia in April 2014 in response to the Ukraine crisis.

NATO on April 8 said the NATO-Russia Council meeting would discuss Ukraine and military activities with a particular focus on transparency and risk reduction.

The NATO-Russia Council, established at the NATO-Russia Summit in Rome on May 28, 2002, is a forum for consultation between NATO and Russia.

Within the Council, NATO allies and Russia work as equals and all decisions in the Council are taken by consensus. Endi