NATO Secretary General meets Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov
On the fourth day of the Secretary General’s visit to the United Nations in New York, Anders Fogh Rasmussen met with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of Russia, as part of the ongoing strengthening of NATO-Russia relations. Their talks took place in a warm and constructive atmosphere. A number of areas where practical cooperation could be strengthened were discussed, including Afghanistan, fighting terrorism and piracy.
Both the Secretary General and Minister Lavrov agreed that while there would be some issues and principles on which there would be no agreement, these should not be allowed to overshadow the entire relationship. The Secretary General also accepted Minister Lavrov's invitation to meet with President Dmitri Medvedev in Moscow before the end of the year.
The Secretary General also met with President Tadic of Serbia. They agreed to look for ways to deepen cooperation between NATO and Serbia, and to build trust. The Secretary General stated his strong conviction that the place for all Balkan countries was in Euro-Atlantic institutions, under the appropriate conditions.
The Secretary General held a bilateral meeting with President Zardari of Pakistan, where they discussed at length the internal security situations in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Secretary General assured Pakistan of support from the Alliance, and congratulated the democratic government for its success until now in fighting extremism. Both agreed that the threats in the region are transnational, and that tripartite cooperation, between Afghanistan, Pakistan and NATO, must be strengthened.
The Secretary General also met with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. The Secretary General thanked the Emir for Qatar's engagement in the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, and they discussed the regional security situation.