Rogozin jokes about NATO enlargement, serious about missile defense

MOSCOW. Dec 16 (Interfax) - Russian envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin jokingly proposed a slogan of Russian protests against further enlargement of NATO in his blog.

"I suggest a new slogan against NATO enlargement, 'Don't Come Close, Nasty You'," he said.

A Russian military delegation led by General Staff Deputy Chief Col. Gen. Valery Gerasimov is visiting the NATO headquarters for negotiations, Rogozin said.

Russia and NATO will have the first missile defense negotiations in Brussels on Thursday. The meeting will be held in development of the agreements reached at the Russia-NATO Lisbon summit, he said. President Dmitry Medvedev offered NATO at the summit to build 'a sectoral missile defense.'

"The sooner the Americans and NATO understand that we are not joking about missile defense, the better it will be for everyone," Rogozin said.