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Russian envoy believes Brexit may impact NATO

Russia's NATO envoy has noted that many NATO officials in their statements call on Great Britain to keep on as a pillar of NATO unity

MOSCOW, June 28. /TASS/. Brexit will have serious consequences for NATO and the entire system of coordinates of Western institutions, Russia’s Permanent Representative to NATO Alexander Grushko told TASS on Tuesday.

"I don’t think Brexit might have any immediate impacts on the alliance," he said. "But in any case, it is obvious that it means a rather serious geopolitical change not only in the European, but also in the Euro-Atlantic architecture which will entail serious consequences for both NATO and the entire system of coordinates of Western institutions," he said.

"Of course, it is difficult today to assess all possible impact but, nevertheless, we would like to draw attention to the fact that many NATO officials in their statements call on Great Britain to keep on as a pillar of NATO unity," the Russian diplomat noted.

As many as 51.9% of UK citizens (17.41 million people) voted on Thursday for leaving the European Union, while 48.1% (16.14 million) were in favor of remaining part of the bloc. The referendum is of non-binding character, which means that its results can be either endorsed or turned down by parliament. Moreover, another referendum may be organized. British Prime Minister David Cameron however promised to respect the will of the British people who voted for quitting the European Union.