Russian Defence Minister To Attend Russia-NATO Joint Permanent Council Session Of Defence Ministers

Russian defence minister Sergei Ivanov who arrived in Brussels last night will attend on Tuesday a session of Russia-NATO Joint Permanent Council and the Council of Euro-Atlantic Partnership at the level of defence ministers. According to a RIA Novosti correspondent, Ivanov's visit to Belgium is timed to this session. During his visit, Ivanov is to sign a Russo-Belgian agreement on military cooperation. Shortly after the arrival on Monday, Ivanov met US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld. On Tuesday morning, Sergei Ivanov will visit the Royal Museum of Army and Military History. On the same day, the session of Russia-NATO Joint Permanent Council will be held. On Wednesday morning the minister will attend a session of the Council of Euro-Atlantic Partnership and then meet the Polish defence minister. Later in the day, Sergei Ivanov will hold negotiations with his Belgian counterpart Andre Flahaut and sign a bilateral agreement on military cooperation. Then the Russian minister will speak before members of the diplomatic and military-diplomatic corps of Brussels. His speech will highlight the topic "Russia and European Security". This will be the end of Sergei Ivanov's agenda in Brussels to be followed by a visit to London.