NATO EASTWARD EXPANSION NOT CORRESPONDING WITH REAL THREATS IS DANGEROUS – LAVROV

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS Military Newswire
October 3, 2008 Friday 1:53 PM MSK
Russia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov thinks that the artificial
NATO eastward expansion, which can be explained by the mindset of
exploring new territories, is dangerous to Russia, Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"The threat is in artificial NATO eastward expansion, which takes place
as a part of the mindset of exploring new territories and which is
not justified and does not correspond with any real threat," Lavrov
told a news conference in Yerevan in the wake of talks with Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

Russia, however, sees no threat if NATO evolves in an alliance that
counters real challenges and threats, the minister said.

Russia and Armenia see eye to eye on what NATO they would like to
cooperate with, he said.

Russia does have interaction with NATO, he said. In particular, both
Russia and Armenia are members of the Euroatlantic Partnership Council,
Lavrov said.