British Defence Secretary Geoffrey Hoon To Visit Moscow Tuesday

British Defence Secretary Geoffrey Hoon, in connection with the current anti-terror military operation of the USA and Great Britain in Afghanistan, will reduce his official visit to Russia - he will arrive in Moscow early on Tuesday morning and leave home in the evening of the same day, said a spokesman for Russia's Defence Ministry. Accordingly, this reduction will entail changes in his visit's agenda. He will meet Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov and the president's aide for strategic stability Igor Sergeyev. The earlier planned meeting of Geoffrey Hoon with Russia's Security Council Secretary Vladimir Rushailo will be cancelled. The British Secretary's trip to St. Petersburg has also been called off. During the talks, the sides will focus on the problems of struggle against international terrorism in the context of the current anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan, as well as on the questions of Russian-British cooperation in the military and military-technical spheres. Some other questions relating to non-proliferation of mass destruction weapons and strengthening of strategic stability will be also considered.