Iceland, Russia To Become Components Of Future Atlantic-Pacific Security

Russia is to become a component part of a future security system, spanning from the Atlantic to Pacific. This viewpoint was voiced Friday by Halldor Ausgrimsson, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Iceland, appearing at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry. The minister expressed hope that a forthcoming Russian-American summit meeting will become a step towards strategic cooperation and long-term union. Minding "the inalienable role, which Russia plays in the collective struggle against terrorism," the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation should, believes the Icelandic minister, reconsider its relations with Russia and "share with it the load of struggle against the present-day threats to security". The September 11 events in the United States, stressed the minister, also provide a possibility for the United Nations to heighten its role in fighting international terrorism.