THE RUSSIAN Foreign Minister, Mr Evgeni Primakov, and his German counterpart, Mr Klaus Kinkel, expressed continuing differences yesterday between Moscow and the western allies over the planned eastward enlargement of Nato.
Moscow remains wary over, if not outrightly opposed to, the expansion of the western military alliance up to Russia's borders.
Mr Primakov expressed this by counterposing the importance of the Organisation for Security and Co operation (OSCE) in post Cold War Europe. This body must "bear the responsibility for security in Europe", he said.
Mr Kinkel, for his part, reiterated that Nato expansion should not take place in a confrontational way regarding Moscow, and called for a "results oriented" dialogue aimed at a "strategic partnership".
On the occasion of the Russian Minister's two day official visit to Germany, Mr Kinkel revived the idea of upgrading relations between Nato and Moscow from the present "16+1" formula to a more formal, institutional association.
Mr Kinkel also praised Russia's role in the present Nato led force for Bosnia Herzegovina and said he looked forward to continued Russian troop participation in Bosnia in the event of a mandate for a post IFOR force there.
Mr Primakov, who is making his first visit abroad since the reelection of President Boris Yeltsin, is today to meet the Chancellor, Dr Helmut Kohl, who is himself due to meet Mr Yeltsin on Saturday. Germany this week also hosts a visit from the US Secretary of State, Mr Warren Christopher, who is scheduled to meet Dr Kohl and Mr Kinkel in Bonn tomorrow before giving a speech on European security in Stuttgart.