Russian Defence Minister And British Secretary Of State For Defence To Discuss Possible Anti-terrorist Operation In Afghanistan

In the course of his visit to Moscow British Secretary of State for Defence Geoffrey Hoon will focus on bilateral military cooperation and on the retaliation action planned by the USA, Great Britain and other countries of the anti-terrorist coalition. The British Secretary of State for Defence is to visit Russia on the invitation of his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov on October 8-10, well-informed sources in the Russian Defence Ministry told RIA Novosti Friday. Ivanov and Hoon are to discuss the situation in the Middle East and Central Asia, problems of European and international security, prospects for the development of Russia-NATO relations and the course of the peace-making operation in the Balkans, RIA Novosti's sources said.