MOSCOW. Dec 9 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said that Moscow is holding consultations with the NATO leadership on reducing the negative impact of the admission of the Baltic states to the alliance.
"We continue to hold different opinions on the effects of NATO enlargement," he told a Monday news conference in Moscow.
"But as defense minister, I am concerned about only one aspect of NATO enlargement - the admission of the Baltic states to the alliance," Ivanov said.
He specified that only one thing troubles him, which is that none of the three Baltic States have signed the CFE treaty. "We would not want any legal black holes to appear in the northwestern direction. The NATO leadership knows our concern and corresponding efforts are being made to remove it," he said.
In reply to a question, he said Russia continues consultations with NATO on building a European missile defense.
"The world is seeing the spread not only of weapons of mass destruction, but also missiles and missile technologies, especially medium and short range missiles and man-portable anti- aircraft systems," Ivanov said.
"Given the existing threats, we continue consultations with NATO on the formation of a European missile defense. We think favorably of the headway jointly made on this issue," he said.