British Secretary Of State For Defence Shortens His Visit To Russia

British Secretary of State for Defence Geoffrey Hoon is to maximally shorten his official visit to Russia in connection with the US and British military action in Afghanistan. He is to fly to Moscow in early morning, Tuesday, October 9 and to return to Great Britain in the evening, spokesman for the Russian Defence Ministry told RIA Novosti Monday. According to him, the programme of his visit will be also altered in this connection. He is to hold negotiations with his Russian counterpart Sergei Ivanov and to meet Strategic Stability Aide to the Russian President Igor Sergeyev. The negotiators will focus on countering international terrorism in the light of the anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan and on the Russian-British cooperation in military and technical spheres.