Quote BBC:
Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the two sides agreed they no longer posed a
threat to one another
Russia has agreed to co-operate on Nato's programme to defend against
ballistic missile attacks, Nato's chief has said.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen said at a Nato summit in Lisbon that the two
sides had agreed in writing that they no longer posed a threat to one
another.
"For the first time the two sides will be co-operating to defend
themselves," Mr Rasmussen said.
The Lisbon summit has been redrawing Nato's focus to face new
challenges.
'Real importance'
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said of the summit: "A period of
very difficult, tense relations has been overcome."
This is the first Nato summit Russia has attended since the Russia-
Georgia war two years ago.
Nato members had earlier agreed on a programme to develop and deploy
defences against ballistic missile attack on their territories.
Mr Rasmussen said he had extended an offer to Russia to co-operate on
the programme and was "very pleased that [Russian President Dmitry]
Medvedev has taken up that offer".
Mr Rasmussen said this agreement was of "real political importance"
and a "true turning point".
* Mission accomplished?
There would be an exchange of information on the threats to European
skies, he said, and the two sides "could conceivably co-operate on
shooting down an incoming missile".
Mr Rasmussen said: "The Nato nations and Russia have today agreed in
writing that while we face many security challenges, we pose no threat
to each other."
He said Russia had agreed to allow more supplies to travel through
Russian territory to support Nato's mission in Afghanistan and to
allow equipment out as well.
Moscow withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989 after a bloody 10-year
conflict.
Mr Rasmussen said there would also be increased co-operation with
Russia on terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, piracy and counter-
narcotics.
Mr Medvedev hailed the "constructive atmosphere" of the talks, adding:
"We have ambitious plans, we will work across all directions,
including European missile defence and the Russia-Nato council has
demonstrated that."
Mr Medvedev praised US President Barack Obama for his "courageous"
rejection of the version of the European missile shield projected by
former President George W Bush.
But Mr Medvedev said many details of the shield plan were still
uncertain and that the scheme would "only be peaceful when it is
universal".
And he warned: "Our participation has to be a full-fledged exchange of
information, or we won't take part at all."
Senate ratification
Mr Obama hailed the "resetting" of Nato-Russia ties.
"We have agreed to co-operate on missile defence - we have turned a
source of past tension into a source of co-operation," he said.
The missile shield programme was a "clear plan to protect" allies in
Europe, Mr Obama said.
He also again appealed to the US Senate to ratify a new Start treaty
he has agreed with Mr Medvedev.
The treaty would reduce both countries' nuclear arsenals and allow
each to inspect the other's facilities.
Mr Obama said the Senate should "rise above partisanship" to ratify
the deal.
He said there had already been "18 hearings and nearly 1,000 questions
answered" on the treaty and it would have "to start over from scratch
in January" if it were not ratified.
Mr Obama said he had won "overwhelming support" among Nato allies for
the Start deal.
Mr Medvedev also called on the Senate to be "responsible" and ratify
the deal.
The two-day Lisbon summit has been billed as one of the most important
in Nato's history, as it seeks to update its strategy and structure to
face new security threats.
--
Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups.
For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
* Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/
* It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls.
* Read the latest breaking news, and more.
