§ Mr. RobathanTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will next meet the Russian Defence Minister. [20806]
§ Mr. PortilloAt the invitation of Defence Minister Rodionov, I shall be in Moscow on 17–18 March for discussions with him. I also hope to see other members of the Russian Government. We plan to sign a new memorandum of understanding covering bilateral defence co-operation between the United Kingdom and Russia, which will provide a framework for building on the significant bilateral defence relationship established with Russia in recent years.