Official: Russia may response to NATO missile shield plansOctober 18, 2012 - 12:32 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia may deliver a "technical response" to NATO over its plans to deploy a European missile defense program, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Thursday, Oct 18, according to RIA Novosti. "The Russian response [to European missile defense] is currently mostly virtual, political and diplomatic in character, but under certain circumstances we would be forced to deliver a technical response, which I don't think you'll like," Rogozin said at a meeting with NATO's parliamentary assembly in Moscow. Rogozin holds special responsibility for Russia's defense industry and until December 2011 served as Russia's ambassador to NATO. Russia and NATO agreed on cooperation over European missile defense at a summit in Lisbon, Portugal in 2010, however talks reached deadlock over US refusal to give legal guarantees that the system would not be deployed against Russian deterrents. Moscow said it would take unspecified military, technical, and diplomatic measures in response. Russia said that if no agreement with NATO is reached over the missile defense issue, it would consider deploying Iskander short-range mobile ballistic missile systems in the Kaliningrad exclave. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. Armenia skips CSTO Defense Ministers meeting A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries began in Almaty. Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. |