Russian NATO ambassador Dmitry Rogozin says that Poland’s foreign minister has tried to halt closer cooperation between Moscow and the West and implied that Minister Sikorski (right) is a “political dwarf”.
Rogozin told the Russian Izviestia newspaper that NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen – who beat Minister Radek Sikorski to the post this year - has helped improve relations between NATO and Russia.
“Rassmussen is a true politician, not a civil servant. Unfortunately, a lot of political dwarfs have clung to Rasmussen’s trouser leg, preventing him from taking a further step forward,” said Rogozin, implying that Minister Sikorski is one of them.
Dmitry Rogozin also commented on NATO’s concern over war game maneuvers in September by Russian troops close to Poland’s border, where they simulated an attack on the Polish coast and the use of nuclear weapons. NATO said that the exercises were in contrast to the recent improvement in NATO - Russia relations.
Rogozin denied the accusations, saying that Russia informed NATO about the military exercises back in July.
“Then [in July] NATO had no reservations concerning the maneuvers.,” said Rogozin. The Russian NATO ambassador assured that the Kremlin does not pose a threat to Poland or NATO and expressed the hope that NATO, in turn, does not pose a threat to Russia.
Rogozin and Sikorski could meet at the Russia-NATO Council on December 4 in Brussels. Foreign ministers will discuss last year’s armed conflict between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in October that "Russia is ready to harmonize relations with the United States and other Western partners, including constructive cooperation with NATO in resolving common tasks." (mg/pg)
source: PAP