could have you with this is this is a top stories this hour is exactly three months is an earthquake triggered the fukushima nuclear disaster and the japanese government is under fire from people in the streets angry over the concealment of the true extent of the crisis. in switzerland that it was a struggling it's a media blackout surrounding one of the world's most secretive and influential gathering spain to shed much light on what the bill the group is up to. and a level playing field for all the southern russian city of sochi undertakes major

construction efforts to provide better access for people with disabilities ahead of the twenty fourteenth. i'll be back with more news for innocent half an hour from now in the meantime it's our spotlight program and now that all of this speaking to all there is foreign minister to find out why the country is considering hosting elements of nato's missile shield that's next on r.t. . hello yanna welcome to spotlight the interview show on r.t. i maldonado and today my guest is it will identify. the area is vast and important for russia's energy projects in the region and also and then to world pride and then vicious nato missile shield military project all this political

gathering diplomacy in the center of intensive diplomatic negotiations to tell us about the results of negotiations in moscow and also to explain vogue arius points of view all burning international issues on the show is about gary as foreign ministers of. russia and nato have failed to come to terms on the project of missile defense shield in europe confused about who the alliance believes is a potential enemy placing its warhead so close to russia borders will garrett is all the european countries feel safe on the major protection and supports the shield sophia strongly believes the proliferation of ballistic technology makes such protection vitally necessary. it was within the welcome to the show a very good story here thank you very much for being with us thanks it's a pleasure and an owner well first of all i wanted to ask you about your meeting

with the recent meeting with mr lavrov russian foreign minister where you said i quote it's of paramount importance that our neighbors become part of the european security system well obviously you meant membership in the. i also mean membership in the european union ok right and are you sure that that nato is the main factor that will guarantee security in europe is that is that the belief i'm absolutely positive because if you look at it. things historically you will see the the last twenty years in the balkans we have seen so many was so many divisions among ethnic groups and religions that we have a historic opportunity actually more than that we have a historic responsibility to make sure that war will be impossible in the balkans and the way you make war impossible in the mobile balkans is by bringing in the

neighbors in the west wall comes in from the european union and nato chiefs two things two very important things first it provides for a common framework of laws and regulations to allow for the development of each society secondly it builds on the community of values that europe has in terms of security when your advice. together with everyone around you you don't fight you don't waste money and you don't waste resources. on. protecting each use you go so forget to your neighbors you actually invest your money in your resources in tackling the contemporary challenges of security that we have and least show interest and they are quite different from the way they looked in the nineteenth century of the twentieth century edition foreign minister voiced more than once the russian position russian proposal had to create a pen european system of security not centered in need to know what's. happening

or bad with this but we've looked very carefully a proposal that came from russia for a new security architecture if i'm going to go about and i think the many issues that still need to be discussed within the framework of the always see we always see is the frame or good gifts. the entire that brings everyone together in a forum to discuss the security challenges that we face but our view is the best way to guarantee security. for all of us within nato russia each and every country is that being gauge on more practical and practical ways in involving us military establishments and boarding our political establishments in daily interaction to protect ourselves from the threats that emerge from outside of europe russia and north america this is a very this is a very important approach to be much more practical in that sense but also to look

at the existing structures that we have there is a very good framework within the nato russia council in which we meet. and we discuss exactly biggest issues we discuss the challenges so our security would discuss how we are going to work together in afghanistan what we face the major threats from the. from the taliban and from and for international terrorism how we're going to tackle the problem of piracy and somalia all of these issues that we can be with and i think this framework is a is a very substantial one we need to build on it we don't need to start from scratch we need to build on being existing institutions and we have almost seems to be very nervous about the u.s. that initiated plans created in the sound shielding you gary decided to take part in this program is this is the final we're this is the course of this course it was and it is a decision which is not just in the national interest but it's in the interest of

the security of the bulgarian citizens as we go forward with the development of the nato ballistic missile defense system it is of paramount importance to us that the entire territory of bulgaria be covered by the system so that our citizens can feel protected from the threats that they emerge do you contend these threats and these threats do not come from russia they come from a number of factors and their common goals europe and russia. here's here's just a very quick list we have a an interregnum nonproliferation regime which over the last ten years since faced very stiff opposition and has in some parts been weakened this is a substantial international problem today ballistic missile technology is much more accessible. than ten twenty thirty years ago and you have a number of radical groups and ideologies the aim of acquiring such weapons and

this is this is the combination of these three factors if you had a number of countries that are quite unstable as we speak as wrote this thread becomes very important so what is important for us within nato and russia is to find ways in which we can work together some jointly together protect ourselves against such a threat and some of the proposals that have been made is to start again with a very practical approach on setting up a mechanism setting up a center that would exchange information that would builds trust between the military people and let's go leaders so good when you have such a sense of which allows for a nato missile defense system and the russian missile defense system to exchange information and to vote in coordination and you back fed up with the political will which was very clear from what was going summit. to work together then slowly but

surely will develop that cooperation in the trust that is vital so i don't think that anyone in russia should feel threatened by the system on the contrary it provides as a wonderful and very practical opportunity to join three work together against a common sort of then could you explain why there why wasn't washington and automated countries happy about the russian proposal to do important that the system you remember the russians proposed easing. station for tracking the missiles and what these but there is a very busy very these are very complicated discussions because they always end up in a technical debate that relates to military technology and all kinds of other quite specific issues i think what is important is that there is the political will which was stated both by nato and by president medvedev that we find the ways in which we can cooperate and we can coordinate and this and that and that we now move to the

next level of the after the statement to find the modeller piece through which we can begin exchanging information and building the trust in this i think this would be this is quite important it is a very innovative project if you think about it it's probably you know. five years ago or ten years ago if somebody had come to you and said nato and russia are thinking how to work together again to protect their territories against ballistic missiles coming from third countries you would have probably laugh yeah i thought those crazy but today we i still consider it to be crazy when somebody tells me that russia may become part of something american military program such as the missile shield which still is an american program and you believe you really believe that russia may become part of it what it actually well it's obvious. you

say that what i say is that you know there are you know really the only two unities there are a number of opportunities for nato and for russia to work together in protecting nato and protecting russia. by using our own systems against such a threat. i don't see why people here are so skeptical of that i do wish that you know. people in russia would be a little bit more understanding of the fact that we are now part nice that there is a partnership that is being signed. the nature of russia is a strategic relationship between the european union and russia and that one doesn't need to be you know suspicious of everything one needs to be much more open minded and to find a way through which we work together in a way that actually delivers to the interests of our citizens because the citizens of bulgaria the citizens of russia or the citizens of any country. in europe or in

north america basically the same people want to live in security they want to have their rights guaranteed to be ones who have economic opportunity and when there are threats against. against these very basic human desires we must stand up and protect ourselves against them well a you say that russia obviously is not the thought of threat and you also mention the terrorist groups that want to acquire weapons but terrorist groups are not firing ballistic missiles it would be more specific would you consider the threats coming from the you know places where these missiles that would be shot over bulgaria fired from i would be a little bit more careful with where you are with such an assessment because twenty years ago. terrorists did not do many of the things which we now in now find should

be common practice and some groups improvised explosive devices very sophisticated improvised explosive devices complicated and well planned attacks on civilians aimed at disrupting civilian infrastructure indeed in pakistan recently we had terrorists walk into a naval facility and so quite a lot of damage there so the world is changing and we need to be prepared not just for the threats of yesterday but for the threats of two more and this is why. developing such a system in concert with other things that we are doing in concert with the dialogue we have on identifying. the core. fundamental reasons why terrorist groups exist in the world in addressing very fundamental i deal with ideological divisions that now try to explain the world as of collapsing and some form of clash of civilizations of the question of

religions all of this is fundamentally. a problem an issue that we must solve and it doesn't matter whether that comes from russia with it comes from. says . gary is foreign minister will be back shortly after we take a break settle. into. a substantial degree and one form or another socialism has spread to shadow up the regimentation probably most of the nations of europe. and the shadow as i'm approaching a little different. in the early twenty first century military bases the network of military bases all around the former sleep empire that the

united states is trying to build it's astonishing most americans have no idea there are more than a quarter of a million or more than two hundred fifty thousand u.s. troops stationed on these bases all around. but we don't have a problem bases in america we don't have any british base we don't have any korean base we don't have any french bases or you know we just all american bases in there in crossed our bases afai there are the noises our northeastern doesn't bother us at all because they're all bases but for other people it's almost like a cancer here for them spiel since the end of world war two the space is so big. and we're here to provide a safe and secure environment for everybody. plays. the questions the appeals get everything you needed.

to. bring you the latest inside strips technology from the realms. we've got the future covered. welcome back to spotlight i'm all going off and just a reminder that my guest on the show today is nicole a legend of who's the foreign minister of bulgaria mr gordon garia was determined to contribute in chile you know that in the big. program of nato which is mission the. in libya russia's foreign minister a lover of was criticizing mater's operation in libya in its current form he said he said that it was not corresponding to the initial nato resolution what does book gary think about your participation in the libya and the libya operation and what's

the final go ousting could after you what do you actually see the front lobe approach yes i do and i think first of all are to start by saying the. i think it's very unfortunate the way that colonel gadhafi responded to the gypsum it concerns of the legitimate demands that he has i speak with that for more democracy and for more participation in government and for or openness the right way to respond to such demands is to actually address the real concerns that people have noticed to take the tanks into the streets not to call your citizens rats and not so to act and this is what happened particularly in benghazi and if it hadn't been for the very quick and very rapid reaction of some countries members of nato or the united nations or the u.n.

security council resolution and so the nato operation we would have seen a massacre of one proportions extent so i think that the operation in libya is right it is legitimate because it's based on the. u.n. security council resolution and it is just because it protects the people from b.p. now if you ask me about the final how do we get out of that question that question is very much a political question and i think the international community has laid very clearly what are the requirements what are the. stepping stones towards reaching such an agreement and bulgaria takes a very strong interest in libya because we have a strong relationship with the people of libya and we have many bulgur and national score and then you would we are analysis shows very clearly that the political resolution to the future of libya must be based on a strong and very clear roadmap which brings people together from both east and

west of the country that unites the tribes of libya different families the different factions brings them together in a process which allows them to choose their. own transitional authority the transitional authority that. will design a new constitution will design a process leading up to it to an election of course in this process there is really no place for kind of cut off. and i hope that he will understand what soon unfortunately he doesn't seem to have a list of until now that the. staying on continuing to stay in the position that he has now is not just i'm available for him in the long run but it is beginning to damage very much the libyan people i hope that you know we will see also an increased international if so drastic

humanitarian situation both on the side of the. in places like misrata up there when it's very severe but also increasingly in tripoli as well we hear more and more reports from other people on the ground of the difficult conditions that people there face. as a naval asset and the naval blockade that exists and next week i'm traveling should be a contact group meeting and i would be where we should be discussing further international efforts and i hope that discussion and focus also on the how do we find a political solution to this crisis. this is the same i mean your opinion about libya who do talk about lead i mean about syria syria should the international community also exert pressure on bash out there to do today to stop one of the theater people get the demonstration would that solve the situation the scene as you see it i do this that's a very complicated question because i generally don't think that we should look at

the situation in the middle east and. without understanding the specifics of each country syria is a very different country from libya unfortunately president assad. has not been able to push forward the reforms that he promised and what we have seen over the last few months is an increase in violence in syria which is completely unacceptable and it is it is in the long run it damages very very seriously syria both syrian society and the ability of syria to come into a community of nations the very much welcome it if it if it meets all international standards and good practices on this i was in damascus a few weeks ago and met with president assad and we had a long discussion about the reforms that are needed and about the need to stop the violence unfortunately i think we have. gone so far and so people into syrian

society that now we're really in the last minutes or less days of an opening for political reform and understand that over the last few days some. initiatives have been taken to allow for an amnesty and to have a debate on the constitutional changes and also to open a dialogue with the media with different opposition groups within syria however this is too little much much more needs to be done and it needs to be done very very quickly. one of the most. important questions in russian abu gharib bilateral relations is is cooperation a comic operation and energy cooperation in two thousand and six had to countryside degree meant to build the nuclear power plant in bell anything. right however

construction has not started yet can you tell us the main reason the main obstacles why isn't the project starts cracking thank you for that question but let me start somewhere else because you said it would be the shoes or energy is one of the most important questions and our relationship and i agree with you but it's not the only one we have a very good relationship with russia and my visit here was to try and focus more about discussions not just on energy and tourism but on a number of other areas where we can operate including culture. and education as far as berlin is concerned the limb is a very big project and it's quite a complicated project the way that the bulgarian government approaches it is in a constructive manner to try and see to make sure that the project itself which was developed some time ago as you said the contract was signed in two thousand and six but it's an old project that goes by some thirty years but everything in the

project today meets the highest possible international standards and particularly european requirements and safety that you understand that after fukushima we are all very much more sensitive towards what safety and i'm not saying that before shima we were lax on it but the public itself is now very much much sense and so what we're doing now is our experts are working with the russian experts to make sure that the project is. at the very very top of safety requirements and we don't have any differences in that because. neither bulgaria nor russia nor any other country would be willing to jeopardize the safety and secondly we're working on creating the. economic and the financial package to make this project interesting to outside investors as well because it's a they said in the beginning this is a very substantial project obviously this takes time it doesn't happen quickly but

i can assure you that it is in the interests of both. an energy companies the russian energy company that was involved in a both governments and everyone else in europe we if we go ahead with this project if we go ahead with it on the very very firm basis that doesn't leave any questions to be asked just for safety economic benefits financial package as well people who take wiki leaks seriously they say that one of the reasons they're hampering this project may be that the americans were. putting much pressure on bulgaria wanting to weaken leaks. so that in favor of the house instead of russ that i'm american investors instead of russian investors is that. i'm not one of those people who take wiki leaks seriously so if you want to talk about that you but find somebody who takes it seriously all the sources of information says that

despite as i said i think you know all of these conspiracy theories in these discussions that have been spurred by leaks very interesting and fascinating but the reality is that we're talking about a nuclear power facility the nuclear power facility is highly complicated. facility that must at. you know at the very minimum meet the requirements in terms of safety that we now have. and as i said after fukushima people who are very sensitive to that but you do want to let the kids know know we're not abandoning nuclear enrichment at this point definitely not. you know people are sensitive after fukushima good people in bulgaria also remember bill and they remember the effects of that hatch and these affect still linger on. in many bulgarian

families there are stories about how the government then the communist government then did not inform people of the risks to the table facing going out into the streets because of the clouds and and all of that and indeed some people to conserve have to be a very serious crime so this is why. society is very sensitive to these issues so you know with all due respect we can expect all due respect to different types of reactors and producers when you build something on your own territory you wanted to be top notch thank you thank you very much for being with us and just to remind you that my guest on the show today was read the end of before this area and that's it for now from all of us to spotlight back with more first on comments on what's going on in and outside russia and so then stay on the party and take a.