Moscow: A nuclear-armed Pakistan, Iran and North Korea pose a threat to Russia's security though they are not adversaries of the country, a former director of Russian Foreign Intelligence Service has said.
"Even if Iran, Pakistan and North Korea are not Russian adversaries, their current and projected nuclear potential could destabilise the regional situation.
It could trigger a chain reaction of proliferation (Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan) that gives rise to a new missile threat for Russia," Vyacheslav Trubnikov was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti news agency.
History shows that relations with unstable states and radical regimes can rapidly deteriorate and their nuclear potential could become a real threat to Russian national security, Trubnikov said in an article included in the digest for an international conference on missile defence in Moscow.
That is why Russia needs to work toward mutual understanding with the United States and NATO on the issue of missile defence, he said.
PTI
First Published: Friday, May 04, 2012, 22:18