NATO AND Russia took an important step towards resumption of dialogue at the weekend, agreeing to re-establish military ties and discuss greater co-operation over counter-terrorism, Afghanistan and nuclear proliferation.
In a move that marks the final break with the “no business as usual” policy imposed by the US-led alliance after last year’s Georgian war, foreign ministers from the two sides meeting in Corfu agreed to resume formal co-operation on a range of security threats.
The accord is the latest in a series of steps by the US and Russia to “reset” their relationship after Barack Obama’s election in the US.
It paves the way for Mr Obama’s visit to Moscow next month, during which he will discuss arms control, Afghanistan and Iran with Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president.
US officials have made clear that they regard the Nato-Russia meeting as a critical test of whether Moscow is seriously interested in improving its relationship with western powers.
“Most of the focus is inevitably on the US-Russia bilateral relationship,” a US official said recently. “But we have been making clear that any improvement on that front also requires Russia to change its stance on Nato.”
Another US official in Corfu said Nato-Russia co-operation had the potential to run like a Ferrari, but said the goal now was to get it up to the speed of a Fiat 500.
One issue on which this weekend’s agreement is likely to bear fruit is Afghanistan. Nato already hauls non-military cargo across the Russian steppe for its 61,000 troops in Afghanistan.
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the alliance’s departing secretary-general, said he would not rule out Russia allowing “lethal” shipments to cross its territory as well.
Despite the agreement, Nato and Russia remain at odds over Russia’s move last year to crush the Georgian army.
Georgia wants to enter the alliance. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009