MOSCOW. March 5 (Interfax-AVN) - A number of NATO member-states have confirmed their interest in taking part in an international security conference that the Russian Defense Ministry plans to organize in Moscow in April, says Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov.
"There are such confirmations already," Antonov said at a news briefing on Thursday when asked whether any NATO countries have agreed to take part in the event.
Invitations to take part in the conference have been sent out to 80 countries, including the NATO members and the alliance leadership, he said.
In sending out invitations, the Russian Defense Ministry was guided by the desire to hold an open exchange of opinions on the most pressing international security problems and "provide an opportunity for airing different and sometimes even mutually-exclusive viewpoints," Antonov said.