Russia, EU aim for closer ties in peace mission work

Sep 3, 2010, 13:20 GMT

Moscow - Russia and the European Union said Friday they would aim for closer cooperation in joint peace mission efforts such as battling Somalian pirates.

Russian chief of general staff Nikolai Makarov made the disclosure after talks in Moscow with Hakan Syren, chairman of the EU military committee, according to Interfax.

Makarov said that in order to shorten the chain of command in such peace efforts, Russia and the EU would set up a new task force.

'The new task force will enable more practical action,' Makarov said, while speaking of 'forthright negotiations' with the EU.

Syren, a Swedish general, praised the cooperation so far. 'A good example is the joint operation in Chad, in which Russia has made helicopters available to us,' he said.

The two men also discussed Russian plans for a new European security structure, coming after a proposal by President Dmitry Medvedev has so far met largely with rejection in the West.

On the periphery of talks, it was learnt that the two sides were not currently considering any further joint military missions besides the two - off the Somalian coast and in Chad - now taking place.