VLADIVOSTOK. May 11 (Interfax-AVN) - NATO must fight world terrorism, drug trafficking and illicit arms trade jointly with Russia, Isabelle Francois, director of NATO's information bureau in Moscow, told journalists in Vladivostok on Thursday.
NATO no longer sees Russia as an enemy, she said.
The other participants in the news conference, Canadian Ambassador to Russia Christopher Westdal, NATO's Assistance Secretary General for Public Diplomacy Jean Fournet, and Deputy Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's European Cooperation Department Yury Gorlach, said that the public in Russia and in NATO member-states must give up stereotypes forged in the Cold War era and jointly face new global threats.
A conference titled "Russia-NATO Council - from Vladivostok to Vancouver" opened in Vladivostok on Thursday.
In remarks about a picket organized by NATO opponents near the building of the Far East State University - the venue of the conference-- Russian and NATO officials said the picket was an example of misinterpretation of the goals of NATO-Russia cooperation.
An action called Russia-NATO: Uniting Efforts had been organized to bring new ideas to the people, the speakers said.
Diplomats and experts in international security have arrived in the Maritime territory from Russia, the United States, Canada and France to attend the international forum.