NATO-Russia Ties: Recent Renewal
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has announced the resumption of formal ties between Moscow and NATO, which had been severed following disagreements over the alliance's bombing campaign against Yugoslavia during last year's Kosovo crisis.
The resumption of ties caps off a visit by NATO Secretary-General George Robertson, who was in Moscow in a bid to ease tensions that had also encompassed differences of opinion on the Western alliance's eastward expansion and Russia's war against Chechen separatists.
Before meeting Ivanov, Robertson met with Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev and those talks were characterized as positive.
"I see this as turning a page on past disagreements and turning to new chapters of dialogue and cooperation on matters of mutual interest," Robertson had told reporters upon arrival in Russia.
Robertson has also said he was eager to discuss Moscow's new national security doctrine, which broadens the Kremlin's authority to use nuclear weapons.
The secretary-general had visited Moscow previously as British defense secretary.
Russian newspapers were mostly upbeat about Robertson's visit, but along with Western diplomats they said there were apparent differences between the defense and foreign ministries over the scope of the visit.
"The result of the talks will depend on the personal position of Vladimir Putin, who would appear to understand better than the military that without integrating into the world community things will be extremely difficult for Russia," said the daily newspaper Sevodnya.
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