PRESS RELEASE

---

NATO-Russia Council To Meet on July 13

July 2, 2016 (EIRNS)—The NATO-Russia Council will meet on July 13, a few days after the NATO summit concludes, to discuss air safety issues over the Baltic Sea, and possibly other topics.

"Currently, the issue of aviation safety over the Baltic Sea is on the agenda of the Russia-NATO Council at the level of Permanent Representatives, which is scheduled for July 13, 2016,"

the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Reuters reports that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu also said that Russia is starting work on a set of measures to improve aviation safety over the Baltic Sea, including a measure that would require Russian military aircraft to fly with transponders turned on. This follows Putin’s meeting with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, at Niinisto’s summer residence in southern Finland, yesterday. Niinisto made the proposal about transponders over the Baltic and Putin said he would direct work to begin on that very topic, taking note that NATO has twice the number of flights in the area as Russia. Shoigu’s statement reflects implementation of Putin’s directive.