The creation of a joint Russia-NATO missile defense network will be a key issue on the agenda of the upcoming global security conference in Munich, a German diplomat said on Monday.
Russia and NATO agreed to cooperate in the creation of the European missile defense system in Lisbon in November last year. The parties plan to formulate terms for missile defense cooperation by June 2011.
"The creation of a joint missile defense network is important not only from a military standpoint but also because it helps to form political trust," Chairman of the Munich Security Conference Wolfgang Ischinger said.
Ischinger added that a new working group in the framework of the conference had been set up to focus on the issue of missile defense, which becomes paramount for future strategic arms reductions.
The 47th Munich Security Conference, to be held February 4-6, will bring together senior figures from around the world to engage in an intensive debate on current and future security challenges.
During the conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton could exchange ratification documents on the new Russian-U.S. strategic arms reduction treaty, putting the new arms deal into effect after it was ratified by the lawmakers of both countries.
The treaty slashes the Russian and U.S. nuclear arsenals to a maximum of 1,550 nuclear warheads.
MOSCOW, January 31 (RIA Novosti)
