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Putin, NATO's Lord Robertson Meet
November 23, 2001
By SARAH KARUSH
MOSCOW (AP) - President Vladimir Putin thanked NATO's secretary general Friday for working to strengthen the relationship between Russia and the Western alliance, and he praised the tempo of discussions to transform a decades-old rivalry into a partnership.
``I am sure that your visit will be a positive development for security in Europe and throughout the world,'' the Russian leader told Lord Robertson at a Kremlin meeting. ``In any case, I evaluate very positively the development of the relationship between NATO and Russia.''
At a news conference Thursday following talks with Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, Robertson said one proposal on the table would give Russia an equal voice on certain NATO decisions, including discussions on terrorism.
The move to increase Russia's role in NATO needs to be addressed with ``some urgency,'' Robertson said Friday after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.
``If we want to make that move, it would be a momentous change. Therefore, we have to prepare with some care, but also with some speed,'' Robertson said.
Robertson quoted Putin as saying Russia was not trying to ``slow down or neutralize the work that NATO does, nor was it a way in which Russia would seek to have a veto on what NATO was doing.''
Putin characterized the dialogue between NATO and Russia as one that ``is developing dynamically.''
Meanwhile, Robertson spoke of his visit this week to the site of the key battle of Stalingrad, where the Soviet Union turned back the Nazis in 1943, as the best way to start a journey meant to develop NATO-Russian ties. Russians and many Western nations joined in the battle against Nazi Germany six decades ago, and today they jointly face a foe in international terrorism, Robertson said.
``We have a common threat,'' he told Putin.
Russia's contacts with NATO currently are limited to dialogue in a body called the Permanent Joint Council, and Russian officials have complained of being informed of key NATO decisions only after the fact.
``International terrorism has gone global,'' Robertson said Thursday. ``International security must go global as well. Either we live and work together or we will perish apart.''
``We are at a moment of unprecedented cooperation, the closest cooperation between Russia and the West since the battle against fascism 60 years ago and we need to build on that,'' he added.
Relations between the former Cold War foes - strained by Russia's opposition to NATO's 1999 air strikes in Yugoslavia and by NATO's eastward expansion plans - have warmed in recent months.
Russia has emerged as one of the firmest supporters of the U.S.-led operation in Afghanistan and the two sides now see each other as partners in the war against terrorism.
The United States, Britain, Italy and Germany have all floated proposals for increasing Russia's voice in NATO decision-making, Robertson said.
He said one calls for the creation of a Russia-North Atlantic Council in which Russia would be an equal member.
``On occasion perhaps, or on specific subjects, the Russian Federation ... would sit around the round table in the NATO council chamber,'' Robertson said.
``That would give Russia the right of equality and also the responsibility and obligation that would come with a consensus-building organization.''
Robertson stressed there was no discussion of Russia joining NATO - something Putin has made clear is not a Russian aspiration.
``We do not intend to stand in line for NATO membership,'' Putin told a group of legislators Thursday.
Robertson, who was on his second trip to Russia this year, planned to depart later Friday.
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