Russian Defence Minister on defence cooperation between Russia, Germany

Cooperation between Russian and German defence departments should yield tangible results, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov told Bavarian Prime Minister Edmund Stoiber.

Sergei Ivanov gave an example of practical cooperation - the forthcoming joint exercises of Russian and German airborne troops. We have completed the theoretic preparations and are carrying out practical preparations, he said. The Russian Defence Minister believes that these exercises "will make an important contribution" to joint counter-terrorist activities.

"We are ready to discuss security cooperation between Russia, Germany and NATO. Unfortunately, the number of security problems is constantly increasing," Sergei Ivanov noted.