In These New Times

Mathaba

MOSCOW, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) — “No official documents were submitted to Russia’s permanent mission in NATO certifying that Russia had authorized the United States and NATO to transport military supplies across the country,” Alexei Maslov was quoted commenting on some media reports, which cited Commander of the U.S. Central Command Gen. David Petraeus assaying that an agreement on alternative transit routes had been reached with Russia.

NATO suspended high-level contacts with Russia following the Caucasus crisis in August. In response, Russia halted cooperation with NATO’s Moscow office and called off the NATO chief’s visit to Moscow.

High-level political contacts between the alliance and Moscow only resumed when NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer met Russian envoy Dmitry Rogozin inBrussels on Dec. 19.

Earlier this month, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe John Craddock called for restoring military cooperation between the bloc and Russia. However, Russia said it would resume such cooperation only after the United States apologizes for its unilateral actions on breaking up the cooperation. #