According To Vice-premier Ilya Klebanov, After The Terrorist Act Of 11 September Positions Of NATO And Russia Are Getting Closer

On Saturday at a press conference in Moscow Ilya Klebanov, Russian vice-premier and minister of industry, science and technologies stated that after the terrorist act of 11 September in American cities of New-York and Washington positions of NATO and Russia were getting closer. According to him, last months events expedited the process of rapprochement of positions of Russia and NATO though it was initiated much earlier. While commenting at the request of journalists on the letter of the British premier to leaders of NATO member-countries which declared the necessity to deepen relations between the Alliance and Russia, Klebanov stated that this fact "should not be viewed as commencement of the process of Russia's joining NATO". Nevertheless he was of the opinion that " undoubtedly marked the beginning of the serious rapprochement of assessments of positions regarding the contemporary global situation".