ST. PETERSBURG. May 25 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov announced plans of bilateral exercise with Nordic countries.
"Military cooperation with Nordic countries is organized both within the framework of the NATO-Russia Council and bilaterally. For instance, Russia has plans to hold a number of exercises with Norway and Sweden," Ivanov told a Tuesday news conference following the St. Petersburg meeting of Russian law enforcement agencies' heads with their Nordic counterparts.
He added that the meeting discussed the issues of peacekeeping cooperation under the aegis of different international organizations, and primarily the UNO.
"I announced our plans to develop the first Russian professional peacekeeping brigade within the structure of the Land Forces," said Ivanov.
Answering questions, the minister said that he drew attention of all those present to human rights abuses in the Baltic states.
"Our concerns are quite understandable, as they have much to do with the human rights of the so-called minorities in some Baltic states, who make up almost half of the population," said he.