Syria pressure: NATO suspends joint mission with Russia

Brussels, March 6: NATO announced Wednesday to suspend the planning for first NATO-

joint escort vessel mission to neutralise

's chemical weapons.

"Russia will not be involved in the escort of the US vessel (Cape Ray)," which will neutralise Syria's chemical weapons, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen was quoted as saying at a press conference following the meeting of the NATO-Russia Council.

Rasmussen stressed that NATO has put the entire range of NATO-Russia cooperation under review.

"We have also decided that no staff-level civilian or military meetings with Russia will take place for now. We have put the entire range of NATO-Russia cooperation under review," he added.

"NATO foreign ministers will take decisions on this in early April," he said.

However, he said NATO remains open for political dialogue and ready to maintain meetings of ambassadors in the NATO-Russia Council.

IANS