Military Liaison Mission in Moscow
The Military Liaison Mission in Moscow was established as a self-reliant part of NATO's International Military Staff in 2002, hosted in Moscow, Russia by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium.
The Mission supports the NATO-Russia dialogue by conducting liaison between NATO's Military Committee in Brussels and the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.
In October 2021, Russia decided to suspend the work of its diplomatic mission to NATO, and required NATO to suspend the work of the Military Liaison Mission in Moscow. NATO regrets Russia’s decision; nevertheless, NATO’s policy towards Russia remains consistent. The Alliance has strengthened its deterrence and defence in response to Russia’s aggressive actions, while at the same time remaining open to dialogue, including through the NATO-Russia Council.
The Mission’s mandate is to support the NATO-Russia dialogue by:
- keeping military channels of communication open;
- liaising with the Russian Ministry of Defence on issues agreed by the North Atlantic Council (NAC), the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) and the Military Committee (MC);
- facilitating the implementation of all NAC, NRC and MC decisions, as appropriate.
The Mission’s main point of contact is the Main Directorate of International Military Cooperation in the Russian Ministry of Defence.
For more information on NATO-Russia relations, please click here.