RECOMMENDED DRAFT OSLO NATO-RUSSIA COUNCIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L USNATO 000257 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR A/S FRIED E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2017 TAGS: PREL NATO SUBJECT: RECOMMENDED DRAFT OSLO NATO-RUSSIA COUNCIL MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Classified By: Ambassador V. Nuland; reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Following today's NATO-Russia-reinforced meeting on Missile Defense, USNATO strongly recommends that we try to negotiate a NATO-Russia Council (NRC) agreed statement for release after the Oslo Foreign Ministers' NRC meeting on April 29. The following draft text for the April 29 Oslo NATO-Russia Council (NRC) Ministerial statement has been cleared by USD(P) Edelman, A/S Rood and MDA Dir. LTGEN Obering. Mission requests urgent approval by OOB tomorrow, Friday, April 20, to begin shopping the text to Allies: - NATO Allies and Russia welcomed progress in developing NATO-Russia cooperation on theatre missile defense. We noted the potential for broader cooperation in this area and look forward to continued dialogue on missile defense issues. NRC Ministers noted the results of the 19 April 2007 reinforced meeting on missile defense, and tasked the NATO-Russia Council to explore possibilities for cooperation in this area. Ministers recognize that we jointly face a new strategic environment and that we will all gain by sharing ideas and cooperating to develop responses to new threats and concerns in order to contribute to NRC member states' security. NULAND