THE RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WILL CONDUCT NEGOTIATIONS WITH HIS DANISH COLLEAGUE








MOSCOW, March 13. /RIA Novosti correspondent Yelena  Glushakova/. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov on Tuesday will conduct negotiations with his Danish colleague Mogens Lykketoft who yesterday arrived in the Russian capital on a two-day visit.


	As the Russian Foreign Ministry reported, one of the main questions at the negotiations will be the problem of strategic stability in the context of the American plans to develop the national missile defence system (NMD), and the place and the role in it of the American radar on the Danish island of Greenland.


	In the opinion of Moscow, if Denmark agrees to it, it risks to be involved in the process which leads to the dangerous upsetting of strategic stability. The position of Moscow on this question has remained unchanged, the diplomat pointed out. The deployment of the NMD would negatively affect the international relations. 


	In an interview given to RIA Novosti yesterday, Mogens Lykketoft said that Copenhagen believed it very important that the USA should conduct consultations on missile defence not only with NATO, but also with Russia and China. 


	According to him, he spoke about it at the recent  consultations in Washington with the new American administration. However, so far Copenhagen cannot say yes or no to the US idea of deploying the NMD until the plans of its creation become more concrete, and all political circumstances of this process are also determined. 


	Apart from that, the sides will discuss urgent international problems, including the situation in the Balkans. As RIA Novosti was told by diplomatic sources in Moscow, "if the Danish minister raises the question of Moscow's policy in the North Caucasus, he will receive appropriate explanations." The sources noted that "this problem is actively covered in the Danish mass media."  Another question to be discussed at the negotiations is the development of Denmark's contacts with the Russian north-western regions, including the Kaliningrad Region. The sources  underscored that a special attention will be paid to the issues connected with the expansion of the European Union and of  Denmark's chairmanship in this organisation in the second half of 2002. 


	Moscow is especially interested in Copenhagen's policy in the Baltic countries and Denmark's support of their entry into NATO. The Russian side intends to express again its negative  attitude to the Alliance's plans of expanding to the East.  


	The signing of any documents is not planned at these  negotiations. According to both Foreign Ministers, they will  speak only about speeding up the work over new draft agreements on combatting organised crime, illegal financial operations and cooperation in emergency situations. -O- (kos/ter)  13/03/01    11:25