MOSCOW. Nov 21 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said a new format for Russia-NATO relations should be established.
"The essence of our proposals consists in creating a new mechanism of equal relations between the NATO countries and Russia so that Russia has the right to vote, the right to make decisions," he told reporters in Moscow on Wednesday.
"In the future, this may result in the abolition of the current format of Russia-NATO cooperation within the framework of the Permanent Joint Council, in which such a mechanism is in fact not working, everyone is convinced of this and acknowledges it," Ivanov said.
The minister also said that Moscow is very closely studying the proposal made by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who suggested expanding NATO's relations with Russia last week.
"As to the proposals made by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, I can say that they are being studied very closely because they are interesting and are getting a response from us. We will definitely talk about it at our meeting with NATO Secretary-General George Robertson in Moscow on Thursday," Ivanov said.
Blair suggested to the NATO allies that the format of NATO-Russia relations be expanded.