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EXPERT: RUSSIA-NATO RELATIONS MAY GO DOWN

MOSCOW, June 17 (RIA Novosti) - If Russia does not participate in the NATO expansion third wave, the relations with the NATO may go down, said Sergei Rogov, director of the USA and Canada Institute under the Russian Academy of Sciences, at the joint session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Committees and the State Duma standing delegation on Thursday.

He pointed out that Russia had had rather negative feelings about the two earlier waves of the Alliance expansion.

"We are a great power and will never tolerate the fact that the critical decisions on the European security issues are adopted without our participation", explained the institute director.

At the same time, he noted that Russia was ready to cooperate if offered equal terms. "I would like Russia to have the same rights as Luxembourg in settling European issues", added Mr. Rogov.

Although Russia is not a superpower, it has a lot of advantages, including, first of all, up-to-date equipment. "We need the integration strategy", believes Mr. Rogov. At the same time, he pointed out that this task could not be solved in one day.

"Today in the absence of severe confrontation, we should take advantage of the opportunities not only in the arms control sphere, but also in establishment of equal Russia-NATO, Russia-EU cooperation", Mr. Rogov concluded.