Russia, NATO to resume missile drills

MOSCOW, March 25 (UPI) -- Russia and NATO will resume joint missile defense drills in 2012, a NATO spokesman said.

The exercises were stopped in 2008 after NATO condemned Russia for its role in a five-day war with Georgia, RIA Novosti reported Friday.

"The alliance and Russia have decided to return to cooperation, which has a good history, including theater missile defense [cooperation]," said Robert Pszczel, the new head of the NATO information office in Moscow.

"We have good horizons here. Probably, we will hold special drills in this sphere starting early next year," Pszczel said.

NATO and Russia also plan to hold military exercises called "Bold Monarch" in the Mediterranean Sea within the next few months, Pszczel said.