a witness 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 such 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 marking a new stage of relations and trust however the parties haven't yet found common ground concerning the anti missile shield in europe their line sees it as two independent systems sharing intelligence to moscow champions the idea of six areas in europe each of them responsible for threats coming from certain directions. homeless of self 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 dot 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 and was used by the sacred general and frankly by all the leaders of the nato russian council and lisbon and indeed that's that's written but it's also meant in a full sense not only we don't consider each other as enemies. but

a we striving towards a 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 he was agreed before the lisbon summit so we certainly hope that my 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 council one of the 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.

decisions which were taken at that meeting are important essentially there are about a military operation work problem program for this year and the difference between for example this is program and the one philosophy is that we have new areas and these are theater 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 corporation 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 i'm on the eleven allies express full solidarity and of course condemn that terrorist act. well. he 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 it's so is it's. finished i mean were they 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 a historic meeting from a political body view as do 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 cards 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

are not in the business of rejecting and if we were 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 put i have a quote from russian president here gives it it's either we come to an agreement on certain terms and make a comparable system to solve the tasks of missile defense or we don't and in this case we will have to make a number of and pleasant decisions in the nearest future dealing with deployment or . of the strike nuclear missile grip and quit what was nato's reaction because this

sounds like a wing 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 this illusion 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 major leadership allies secretarial that we will certainly find ways to work out such a arrangements that would enable us to pull together their 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 nato missile defense

system 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 the cornerstone of european security texture 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 poor lisbon declaration confirms that nature's daus i quote remain. why the 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 do you think this is something to think about at least for the for the future made this over happen what would you say the question of and in 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 any country feels that it's it's capable is

interested and i said can share what is often called the aqim of nato then of cause you know such an issue but at the moment to our best knowledge there are no such. no such blood sort 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 aware of any any serious plans on the part of russia to apply but rather do think there the united states will ever allow russia to become part of the allies because because i think if russia becomes part of the alliance well what's the point of having the allies will it makes it really anti chinese what this is the only point of running is 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 stance i remember one of the criticisms the russians. 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 and played 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 an appropriate setting to speculate but the most important thing is we have the makings we have the structure which is a really 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 out of places so that's that's really what we should and i think that's what we are concentrating on well they 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 but 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 spotlight will be back shortly we'll continue this interview in less than a minute after we take a break so don't go they will you.

i'm discovery to be. communicate with you want to. test yourself and become free. see what nature can give you on the. welcome back to spotlight on al gore and often just a reminder that my guest in the studio today is robert style director of the nato

information office in moscow we're talking about nato russia copper ration. well one of the fields of copper ration between between nato and russia between nato military and russian military is ghana stan this is this is a big pain for russia and a big problem for nato to nato especially the americans have been accused of even promoting drug dealer ship in afghanistan and he of course saw that in russian papers well you said in one of your interviews i quote nato'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 poppy fields the ranks of taliban will grow because the people will lose their earnings and quote you really said that well i said it of course in a company that it is can't be because. sequences of you know destroying the crops

which are the only life we're trying to help them intelligence for providing security we train by the way we're training counter-narcotics experts from afghanistan and actually countries in the region to get a russia including demolition of a body but these are serious decisions and the best placed decisions of the people to make them are the afghan authorities themselves so even if thing this is the right way to go we'll 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 dewey peons realize that the drugs produced in afghanistan they appear of the streets on the streets of european cities pratley

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 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 so therefore 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 is again i repeat that's what we call breakdown i don't even i don't even think that. the world gets but i think it's true that the number of kids killed by. drugs is much higher than the number of soldiers killed by the

taliban and the terrorists but certain is that this is 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 tackling the security problems when we became engaged afghanistan 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 a 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 they that russia is ready to help the alliance in afghanistan coping the 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 and we. certainly you know you know the training is very important yes i mean training training i mean a show. i would love to use one of them is exactly. as we say and they bring down guns to deal with the security problems well the trophies and yes i mean good training well trained afghan security police forces are the ticket so to speak to altimetry asked the international community because you know you don't know forty eight countries who are engaged in ice or being able to transit to to hand over the responsibility for it with that is happening and we have important decisions behind it in lisbon. i mean that the transition state should start even this spring so

russia can also play a role and we've been discussing various issues related to helicopters for example perhaps through training or and also provision of maintenance and so on a ship is already sent a helicopter i think yes is it russian that helicopters are in use in afghanistan and they each go here in the state russian helicopters are in use it means we directly send them or somebody some of them let's say they're already there because i'm going 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 you mean the terrorist attack in the rush moscow's domodedovo airport and in a recent interview you said that meeting in brussels nato and russian military

already discussed seriously thoroughly their corporations in order to prevent tragedies like the one we saw in denver did of an airport how exactly can the parties help each other. in fighting in preventing terrorist it's well we've had cooperation on the fight against terrorists for many years and now many facets to it you know 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 we are for a number of years now been in gage 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 their 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 able speaking of speaking of cup ration between nato and russia or one of the common threats that we both consider both most brussels and invasion a to nato country is nuclear proliferation we say 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 really 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. it's 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 some 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 there may be 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 when it was dangerous issues to to to deal with is nato cop rating 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 pollies 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 in a store nya that we dallas' decided that we need also to focus on the frets to the public the sort 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 down that is actually

a threat to security so i think russia shares our concern and you know we have been as you 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 another 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 artists the young generation of officers not to look at each other with suspicious this is a special do you think do you think this may be one of the keys to building new relations between russia and their words 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 our young military work together. we had had this cooperation before for instance in the balkans. ships work side and side to be of all races in the. you know all of the sure about infighting piracy so we spoke about his earlier the new work plan military operation 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 upon and so on or even enemy so i think that that certainly i hope very much is it is in the area which will have much more action your some 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 hearty take. thank you.

renewed violence in the streets of cairo hundreds of thousands of pro and anti-government protesters in egypt further stirred up by western calls for an immediate transition of power. and the turmoil in egypt reaches of the u.k. where an islamic organization terrorists in some other countries takes the chance to promote its records. and investigators tell russia's president the identity of the suicide bomber who killed thirty six in a blast of moscow's busiest airport last month but the retreatment says there's still work to be done to find the masterminds. and oil is reaching two year highs at over one hundred eighty three dollars a barrel and find out how much higher will go in our business program in twenty minutes time.

this is r.t. live from moscow where it's now or just after six pm well for the clashes and heavy gunfire another day of upheaval in egypt it's part of an ongoing wave of violence between opponents and supporters of president hosni mubarak now five people were reportedly shot dead in cairo's tahrir square before dawn on thursday the total number killed in over a week of riots is estimated at around three hundred it's now thought the egyptian army which had previously not intervened in the clashes has made some attempts to divide demonstrators egypt's prime minister ahmed shafik has apologized for the volatile attacks on anti-government protesters artie's of paula syria has some kind of. thousands of protesters continue to make their way to tough both for and mubarak supporters we're hearing reports of buses loaded with protesters also cause .