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Moscow is weighing time, format, delegates for Russia-NATO Council talks — diplomat

Moscow believes it’s essential that top military commanders take part in the NATO-Russia Council "because the matter is about military security issues", Alexander Grushko said

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko

© Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/. Moscow is weighing time, format and delegates for a Russia-NATO Council meeting, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told TASS on Sunday.

"The time, modalities, format and makeup of the delegation are being considered," he said.

Moscow believes it’s essential that top military commanders take part in the NATO-Russia Council "because the matter is about military security issues," the diplomat said.

Anadolu Agency reported on Saturday, citing a source in the alliance, that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg decided to convene a NATO-Russia Council on January 12. NATO earlier said that its highest military authority, the Military Committee, will meet in Brussels on January 12-13, 2022 for sessions, which will be attended by the allied chiefs of defense.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed on Friday that Moscow received and was considering an offer from Brussels to convene the NATO-Russia Council. The diplomat also reaffirmed Russia’s readiness for direct talks with NATO on the Russian proposals for security guarantees, which would rule out NATO’s further eastward expansion and deployment of weapons near Russian borders.

On December 17, the Russian Foreign Ministry released draft agreements on security guarantees addressed to the US and NATO. They had been handed over to US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried on December 15.

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