Italian Defense Ministry says NATO-Russia bridge needed to fight terrorism

ROME, July 6. /TASS/. Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti has voiced the conviction that a bridge between NATO and the Russian government is needed for combating terrorism.

"Italy has always insisted on keeping the NATO-Russia dialogue open," the minister said in an interview with Corriere della Sera daily published on Wednesday. "A bridge between NATO and Moscow is needed for fighting terrorism effectively."

"Unfortunately, the recent terrorist attacks in European capitals and in such unexpected places as Bangladesh only confirm that fundamentalist terrorism can manifest itself in individual cases, in individual places and on all parallels," Pinotti said.

She noted that, in spite of NATO’s huge military potential, to date the alliance "has proceeded from the principle of deterrence and conflict prevention." "Today we are facing terrorism, which calls itself "a state" and spreads around the world through the actions of single suicide bombers and small groups. That’s why we need to make a qualitative leap, including in intelligence sharing and the work in cyberspace," the minister said.

In her view, it will be possible to avoid "too hostile signal" to Moscow at the upcoming summit of NATO member-countries in Warsaw. "It is pointless to return to the past war in the face of a terrorist threat," Pinotti added.