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NATO urges Russia 'to refrain from confrontational statements'

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NATO called upon Russia on Wednesday to refrain from "confrontational statements" that could further harm relations between the military alliance and Moscow.
BRUSSELS, December 3 (RIA Novosti) - NATO called upon Russia on Wednesday to refrain from "confrontational statements" that could further harm relations between the military alliance and Moscow.

"We call upon Russia to refrain from confrontational statements, including assertions of a sphere of influence, and from threats to the security of Allies and Partners, such as the one concerning the possible deployment of short-range missiles in the Kaliningrad region," the NATO foreign ministers said in a statement following a meeting in Brussels.

In early November, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Moscow would deploy Iskander missile systems in its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, sandwiched between NATO members Lithuania and Poland, in response to any deployment by Washington of elements of a missile defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Medvedev's announcement, which was made in his annual state of the nation address, sparked a wave of criticism in Europe, while some military analysts in Russia expressed doubts over the reliability of Moscow's planned response to Washington's missile shield plans.

NATO reiterated on Wednesday that it backed the U.S. plans for a central European missile shield, saying that it would make a "substantial contribution" to the security of the alliance's member states. Russia has said the shield would pose a threat to its national security. The U.S. insists that the shield is aimed against strikes by "rogue" states such as Iran.

Meanwhile, foreign ministers of 26 NATO member-countries said the NATO-Russia partnership was strategically important for strengthening security in Europe.

"Dialogue and cooperation [with Russia] remain important for our joint ability to meet effectively common security threats and challenges," the NATO statement said.

However, it also said that "recent Russian actions and statements have seriously diminished our confidence in Moscow's continuing commitment to the founding values and principles of the NATO-Russia relations."

On Tuesday, the 26-nation military alliance decided to gradually resume contacts with Russia, suspended after the five-day war between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia in August.

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