check out. this year we may witness a joint nato russian anti-missile defense drills which will be the first in three years operation between the two was terminated part of the conflict in south the search here in two thousand and eight but last year saw a considerable thaw in the relations between russia and the allies. are we back on track here's the director of the nato information office in moscow robert child. russian leaders joined them to drug operation in afghanistan last year was a milestone in marketing you stage relations and trust however the parties haven't yet found common ground concerning the anti-missile shield in europe their line sees it as too independent systems sharing intelligence to moscow champions the idea of six areas in europe each of them responsible for threats coming from certain directions. wholeness of

stealth thank you very much for being with us on the show thank you for inviting well first of all you repeated many times speech speaking with newsmen for one that russia and nato don't consider each other enemies these are your words that you there that you like to repeat however nato the global ambitions i mean i mean the expansions to these the anti-missile plans in europe officially are officially cited in the russian military train as threats to our national security so russia does consider it a threat officially so is it part of your job to to see that those threats are removed from from russia's mentality and from russia's documents well first of all i repeat those words but they don't i don't claim copyright because there's a voice used by the sacred general and frankly by all the leaders of the nato russian council lisbon and indeed that's that's written but it's also meant in full sense not only with. because of the each other as enemies but

a we striving towards strategic partnership and secondly we frankly don't really consider ourselves a problem because we do have joint problems which we need to tackle as far as the military doctrine that you mentioned well it was obvious she was agreed before the lisbon summit so we certainly hope that night and none of the nato policies and certainly not later such is considered a threat because because we're not we're not afraid to russia and we were sure that that is exactly as we should see each other ok in january russia's chief of general staff for the first time he took part in a joint session of the ratio russian a took counsel was there any breakthrough decisions taken at that meeting while he was the first session this year but of course we had those meetings before and they are important because overall the military operation is very important.

the decisions which were taken at that meeting are important essentially they are about a military operation work problem program for this year and the difference between for example this year's program and the one philosophy is that we have new areas and these are feats of missile defense which is indeed what was agreed in lisbon that we would come back to the cooperation we had in that area and secondly there's going to be an interesting cooperation i think interesting everybody concerned involving military academies essentially you know opportunities for military experts to talk about doctrines to talk about long term issues how we essentially they see the world and how does it translate into the many to education so it was certainly a meaningful meeting of course it started on a solemn note because of course it happened the meeting took place just after the tragic attack and the body of a allies expressed full solidarity and of course condemn that. the terrorists are.

well here of course remember that in lisbon president medvedev. made a speech in which he came up with the so-called sexual anti-missile defense proposal to practically reject it so is it's. finished i mean or may there be further negotiations on this proposal or. the russian side should come up with something something you well i mean lisbon apart from being historic meeting from the political body of your eyes to a lot of decisions and perhaps some of the most important ones were precisely on the issue of the cooperation missile defense of yet a missile defense cooperation but also we have agreed and we started implementing this that we would work hard together to discuss legacy aid should use to come up with the best ways of using the potential which exists in russia and in nato

concerning missile defense protection and this is exactly what's happening so we're not in the business of rejecting and if we're not in the business of you know. being critical towards each other we are trying to work out the best ways we have presented our initial vision which is that of the two independent systems and there are some reasons why we are we think that is the best way forward at this stage but working together and you know this is what our experts are working on this is what our political decision makers are discussing and i think june was chosen are the time when an initial report will be peppered i have a quote from russian president here gives it it's either we come to an agreement on certain terms and make compatible system to solve the tasks of this on defense or we don't and in this case we will have to make a number of and pleasant decisions. in the near future dealing with deployment of

the strike nuclear missile group and quote what was nato is reaction because this sounds like a wording is it. well i'm i'm we we certainly not looking forward to any unpleasant decisions on the contrary we're looking forward to the solutions which would enable us to do something which has never been done before in the history of nato russia relations which is to create an arrangement which would serve for common protection of our citizens and their release from the fret which certainly exists of ballistic missiles so we are at the beginning of this world so frankly speaking we are very much optimist when it comes to nato or later leadership allies secretarial that we will certainly find ways to work out such a arrangements that would enable us to pull together the resources the capabilities that we have or are in the business of developing which is the case for instance

and later we are just starting to developing that later missile defense system to do nato countries consider ratifying the treaty and conventional armed forces in europe any time soon i mean because because this may be very useful in building up trust between the two parties well. see if he is one of those issues that we think is of great importance it's often been called a cornerstone of european security detector and would certainly like the new modified treaty to be fully into force. and i think at the moment the situation is however that it's actually the russian federation that has suspended its implementation and there are various discussions taking place in vienna and also nato russia council is a is a place where this discussions can take place and we hope very much that we can work out again ok well let's get back to lisbon that this pool lisbon declaration confirmed. and that nature's daws i quote remain wide open for all european

democracies well i think this is. one of the quotes from from nato papers that makes people in russia want to well start talking again about possible russia's membership in nato well this this for me has always sounded strange well maybe i'm a product of the cold war this well i remember this time so so so i don't think this may ever happen in our lifetime at least the did do you think this is something to think about at least for the for the future may this ever happen what would you say the question of any potential interest in applying for membership of course has to be put to the country itself because you know we've never been we are not and we will not be in a business in the future as well of sort of love being in a country this as significant decisions and in the country feels that it's it's

capable is interested i said can share what is often called the key of nato then of cause you know such an issue but at the moment to our best knowledge there are no such. no such plans of speaking in russia and that's what we heard also from the russian leadership so it's it's an open question but at this stage it's not an agenda because we are not a word of any any serious plans on the part of russia to apply but rather do you think though the united states will ever allow russia to become part of the alliance because i think if russia becomes part of the alliance well what's the point of having the alliance well it makes it really anti chinese what this is the only little you put up running running your business in other nations and we're not on i mean we're anti terrorism reality you know different security challenge i'm not anti any country but well that's perhaps a slightly. in my songs i remember one of the criticism mr rasmussen robeson was

once asked a question speculate precisely maybe a similar question maybe some other and he said if i knew what would be happening in five ten years i'd be playing in a stock exchange so of course but the truth i mean speaking really seriously is that you know it's a serious issue of any country's choice of the security orientation and therefore so it would be inappropriate to speculate but the most important thing is we have the makings we have the structure which is a really a joint baby it's it's our it's a common creation that we put together with russia and let's make the best use of it it's has great potential in so many areas which are important for the security of our citizens you know in moscow in washington in warsaw in berlin places so that's that's really what we should and i think that's what we are concentrating on well i are completely rebuilt because i have also i have always thought that that mechanisms like the russian nato council like and the similar going with other nato

countries may be more useful even then then joining the the the body don't you think partnership over all i mean and lisbon was very clear on this are if you like a growing business and a great business of interest and importance for nato we hardly do anything if you and my point on our own where we have gone is done where it's fighting and you know cyber attacks pirates and so on we work with other bennies asians will work with other countries so that is really you know the name of the game and partnership including russia absolutely fundamental for that says robert tell director of the nato information office in moscow spotlighted will be back shortly we'll continue this interview in less than a minute after we take a break so don't go there were you.

the more people we killed the happier our officers were it got to be like a game like to see you get killed the most people and the different ways you can keep peace killed or be like you know appears now if you brought back some serious you know where we had the most years they would get the most fierce each a leader should be rich overnight human children in five men around the circle over no compliment for him succeed. great by six or seven people going to her family. most of the ability to. download the official auntie application to go on the phone all i pod touch from the i.q. exam still. enjoy life on the go. video

on demand on ts mind broadcasts and r.s.s. feeds now in the palm of your. question on t.v. dot com. welcome back to spotlight on al gore nov and just a reminder that my guest in the studio today is robert towne director of the nato information office in moscow we're talking about the nato russia card for a show. well one of the fields of corporations between between nato and russia which we nato military and russian military is ganis to this is this is a big pain for russia and a big problem for nato to. especially the americans have been accused of even promoting. drug dealer ship in afghanistan he of course saw that in russian papers

well you said in one of your interviews i quote nature's role in afghanistan is to support the security of afghan institutions it's a very difficult task you say for example if we destroy the poppy fields the ranks of taliban will grow because the people will lose their earnings and quote you really said that well i said of course in accounting that if this can be the consequences of you know destroying the crops which are the only life we're trying to help them intelligence for providing security we training by the way we're training counter-narcotics experts from afghanistan and actually countries in the region together russia including demolition of a body but these are serious decisions and the best place decisions of people to make them are the afghan authorities themselves so even dating this is the right way to go we will support them but it's not really strictly speaking the job or

made of the ground relegating it's because yes it's complex and he has many consequences and we have to work together it's not a job just for nato but for our going station and certainly the afghans themselves and we need to help them this but. the thing i've always worried me is that do you hear opinions realize that the drugs produced in afghanistan they appear on the streets on the streets of european cities practically like in a couple of days you're right i mean let's be honest it's a big business and it's an international business and this is terrible things they end up on the streets of moscow they end up on the streets of berlin of moderate and so on it's true and we are aware of this but you know again there is a link between security and development there is a link between konami potential economic situation the real possibilities which exist for people and actually. our successes or the lack of them in in

fighting the terrorists the taliban's who very often by the way cooperate with drugs or so it is a it's an it's a nexus of before the solution to this whole so has to be a multifaceted one and we are trying to play our part we understand the russian preoccupations there's again i repeat that's what we call break down or even i don't even think that it's a world guess but i think it's true that the number of kids killed by afghan drugs is much higher than the number of soldiers killed by the taliban and the terrorists. certainly is that this exact high and we have no i mean we have no illusions and it's a serious problem but again if we are successful and we have to be and the vatican government is successful in at the same time that's the tricky part of tackling the security problem when we became engaged on ghana's that we we found the situation

that the only people who stood between the traffic the traffic of my colleagues that's a lot of mafias were let's say two policemen with kalashnikov and not in a bad shape bicycle so you know afghans need to need to be held way to national community to be able to fight this problem but it's a complex one russia more than once declared that the that russia is ready to help the alliance in afghanistan coping situation against that. i've heard that. brussels today is counting on russia to help them build the national afghan army as a pretext to leaving afghanistan is a true is nato is nato considering russia one of the means to to help build the international have been armed forces we are. sending training is very important yes i mean training training i mean a show. i would love to use one of them. it is exactly. as we say and they bring

down guns to deal with the security problems well the truth is that yes i mean good training well trained afghan security police forces are the ticket so to speak to altimetry us the international community because you know during my forty eight countries who are engaged in ice or being able to transit to to handover the responsibility for all of that is happening and we have important decisions behind is a lisbon which means that the transition state should start even the spring so russia can also play a role and we've been discussing various issues related to helicopters for example perhaps through training to oil and also provision of maintenance and so on a ship is already cynical i think it says it russian helicopters are in use in afghanistan and they each go here and they say russian helicopters are in use it means we directly send them or somebody or some of them let's say they're already

there because afghan army had them there they are very useful and there is there is a trust fund that we want to establish. which would enable not just the use of these helicopters but maintenance there are some discussions going on right now about the financing which of course is an important issue but we do have high hopes because that would be a major contribution well you. did have already twice in the sense of i mean the terrorist attack in the rich moscow's domodedovo airport and in a recent interview you said that meeting in brussels nato and russian military already discussed seriously the thoroughly their cooperation in order to prevent tragedies like the one we saw in denver divil airport how exactly can the parties help each other. in fighting in preventing terrorists well we've had cooperation on the fight against terrorists for many years and now many facets to it you know well actually trying to stabilize afghanistan is one obviously

exchanging confidential intelligence information about terrorism that is happening but now also a very specific project something the one did i mention that you alluded to was the so-called standard standards which is actually for a number of years now been in gauge in the search for the right technology to allow our security forces to have a potential to detect explosive devices from a distance that could save lives and this project is russia russian scientists are one of the key participants in the project we hoping that perhaps even some simulations some sort of test trials could take place maybe in a space of a year or two so yes there are some very concrete ways in which we work and can do more frankly to be of a river speaking of speaking of cup ration between nato and russia or one of the common threats that we've both considered both moscow brussels and invasion it is nato country is nuclear proliferation is against nuclear proliferation well but as

far as i understand there is a major major difference between the russian approach and the alliance approach towards iran's nuclear program can you tell me the main difference in these two approaches well when we have a certain rule we don't discuss specific countries when it's certainly not in public when it comes to evaluation of any potential that what i can confirm is that we. nato considers for instance when talking about the ballistic. missiles that there's about thirty countries who either have that technology and that capacity or are very close to developing it having overall we have done a lot and i think we're going to do more joint analysis that's part of the work on missile defense cooperation russia now we may differ on some issues relations but i don't think we differ on the overall assessment of the proliferation particularly of the of the ballistic missiles and of course what they can carry is

a serious threat so we have to deal with that's the bottom line the rest of course is important but maybe you know maybe there is need for discussion how best what are the optimal ways but i think on this issue we don't disagree but it's a specific countries we don't discuss in public ok then let's talk about in the field of possible complications cybercrime today the nato countries consider cyber crime one of the most important issues one of the dangerous issues to to deal with is nato cooperating with russia i think not yet in fighting and one of the plants. well we first we have to if you like establish a more robust police are born because nato had been dealing with cyber defense issues for years but to be very honest they were concentrated mainly on the

military communication and all systems and it's following big well known events such as an historian that we dallas decided that we need also to focus on the frets to the public because of if you like to open. the open cyber cyber space systems because if you have the situation which. the banks sadly how you know can't operate if the government business cannot be done properly because you know the whole system is done that is actually a threat to security so i think russia shares our concern and you know we have been i say developing our policy and i think it's a matter of time and it is written if you like into the elements of the policy that we would would certainly work with the partners on tackling this international problem because it is an international problem and in the other interesting issue is the exchange program for his students candidates of

military academies there is such a program and i think that this may be like the best way to help future atthis or the young generation of officers not to look at each other was suspicious the suspicion do you think do you think this may be one of the keys to building new relations between russia and the alliance in the future by figure of spot on i mean having this is you know it's one of those issues that it's not even mathematics it's about chemistry. you know the more of our young military work together. we had had this cooperation before for instance in the balkans. or ships work side inside to give a reason as in the. you know off the shore about infighting piracy so we spoke about his earlier the new work plan military cooperation does include these changes and also there is a big scope for bilateral cooperation too and frankly speaking the more young calls

the military you know go and see each other worked together you know the less there will be a chance that they will look each other god forbid some sort of opponents on or even enemy so i think that that's certainly my hope very much is that it is an area which will have much more exchanges in the future thank you thank you very much for being with us and just a reminder that my guest in the studio today was robert child director of the nato information office in moscow. and that's it for now from all of us here will be back with more first on comments on what's going on in or outside russia until then saying r.t. and take. thank you. the

violence in egypt shows no signs of lacing up as molotov cocktails were thrown into the crowd and guns are fired to join me in a few moments. also the turmoil in cairo acros and many other countries with terrorism related groups calling for the creation of an islamic state hitting the streets of the u.k. the country were the radical organization partly responsible for the egyptian unrest was created. or magic really you would add a bitter break up the new york times is under fire for using join the sun to boost its profits and popularity but then ditching him after the launch of a criminal investigation. from centuries old weapons making traditions to a state of the art new technologies are his close ups here is takes you to the stronghold of russia's the fans manufacturing this city. from the

business desk russia's largest lenders bareback plans to buy almost the whole of troika dialog that itself a task to create. investors that i'm more of the. watching and the live from moscow ten am in the russian capital i'm marina joshie welcome to the program the egyptian army has started arresting anti-government protesters in the sandor of cairo it marks a change of approach by the military which previously wasn't intervening in clashes between supporters of president mubarak and anti-government demonstrators five people are reported to have been killed in a morning gunfight in cairo's tahrir square that follows a day of heavy violence in which hundreds were injured the country's braced for more trouble as it enters its stance days of unrest are just published near has more.