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New Russian Military Rep. at NATO
In the latest of the changes made by Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov in the last year and a half, main commander of the infantry Army Gen. Alexey Maslov has been appointed Russian military representative to NATO. He is expected to arrive in Brussels in August or September. A diplomatic source told Interfax that Maslov’s appointment “may be a serious step to strengthen Russian representation in North Atlantic structures.” Unofficial sources say Maslov will be replaced by commander of the Volga-Urals Military District Vladimir Boldyrev as main commander of the infantry. Maslov replaces Vice Adm. Valentin Kuznetsov at NATO. He had occupied that position since 2002.
Serdyukov has made a number of personnel changes due to what one member of the Defense Ministry called “the inertia of thought of the high command staff of the armed forces and their unwillingness to implement the military reform proposed by the new minister and approved by both presidents.” Signs of that reform will be the conversion of a number of military positions to civilian, privatization of some military facilities and a staff cuts at the ministry. Sources say that Maslov will work in Brussels the remaining five years until his retirement at age 60.
Maslov will take on a number of serious disagreements that have arisen between NATO and Moscow in recent years. In mid-June, Serdyukov and NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer acknowledged their differences on a number of issues at the last session of the Russia-NATO council. Cooperation between them is limited to counterterrorism operations and exercises. Diplomatic sources say that Maslov’s appointment is a sign of Moscow’s interest in cooperation with NATO.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of July 23, 2008
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