NATO and Russia: A New Beginning.

• Author: Sempa, Francis P.

NATO and Russia: A New Beginning

By Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO Secretary General

Text: http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/NATO_Rasmussen.pdf

Video: http://carnegieeurope.eu/events/?fa=1386

Improving relations between NATO and Russia will require "realism" and "political will," according to NATO Secretary General Rasmussen in a recent speech to the Carnegie Endowment in Brussels.

The current NATO-Russia relationship, he noted, is "burdened by misperceptions, mistrust and diverging political agendas." Some disagreements are "fundamental" and cannot be wished away, but there are enough important areas of common interest that can serve as a foundation upon which to construct the framework for a "new beginning."

Rasmussen offered three main proposals. First, NATO and Russia should strengthen their cooperation in combating terrorism, preventing the further proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, sharing missile defenses, stabilizing Afghanistan, improving joint counter-narcotics efforts in Central Asia, and promoting maritime security. Second, the NATO-Russia Council should be re-vitalized as "a forum for serious dialogue" where both sides can air differences "openly and transparently." Third, there should be a joint review of...