Russia appoints senior general as new envoy to NATO

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has appointed one of its most senior generals as new chief military envoy to NATO, the Defense Ministry said on Monday, stressing the importance of Moscow's ties with the Atlantic military alliance.

"Army General Alexei Maslov, chief commander of Russia's Ground Forces, will become the new chief military envoy to NATO," a Defense Ministry official told Reuters.

"His appointment is meant to underline the importance Moscow attaches to its relations with NATO."

Moscow fiercely opposes NATO's eastward expansion and views membership bids made by its ex-Soviet neighbors Ukraine and Georgia as a threat to Russia's national security.

In January Russia's then president Vladimir Putin appointed firebrand nationalist Dmitry Rogozin as Russian ambassador to NATO. Before his appointment, Rogozin had called for Russia to re-arm to counter the threat from NATO.

In June Russia's new president, Dmitry Medvedev, proposed reviewing the whole philosophy of maintaining security in Europe to provide equal security to all states without divisions into blocs.

The 54-year-old Maslov, a career officer who has risen from tank platoon commander, will replace Vice-Admiral Valentin Kuznetsov, posted to Brussels since 2002.

Army General Vladimir Boldyrev, until now the commander of Russia's Volga-Urals military district, will replace Maslov as new ground forces chief, the Defense ministry official said.

(Reporting by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Robert Hart)