Representatives of NATO and the Russian Federation ended talks on
Tuesday, May 6 with an agreement "to intensify negotiations in
order to reach agreement at the earliest possible date." NATO
Secretary-General Javier Solana and Russian Foreign Secretary
Yevgeny Primakov did not issue a joint statement. Before the
meeting Primakov told reporters that the Russian Federation was
hoping to remove obstacles to a Russia-NATO pact related to the
military bloc's eastward expansion. NATO wants a charter or
"document," which gives Moscow a permanent consultative role with
the military alliance. The eastward expansion of NATO and
Russia's cooperation with it is being described by NATO officials
as "the centerpiece of a new security order in Europe for the
21st century."
Moscow strongly opposes likely NATO membership for Poland,
Hungary and the Czech Republic and wants strong commitments from
NATO setting clear limits on military activities in the new
members. NATO, which has faced broad international opposition
because it is seen as a military instrument for the big powers,
especially the U.S. to exercise domination over the world, says
the Russian Federation's demands are out of the question "because
such issues are a matter of sovereignty."
Primakov told reporters in Strasbourg Monday he hoped to
complete a draft agreement at the Luxembourg talks. "I want this
meeting to be the last one and to enable us to sign on May 27.
The possibility of signing the document will be totally cleared
up tomorrow," he said. President Boris Yeltsin has said he wants
to sign the new deal at a special summit May 27 in Paris.
Primakov reiterated Russia's stand that NATO expansion into the
east is "the most serious error since the end of the Cold War."
But he added that a Russia-NATO document should minimize the
repercussions on Russian security.
NATO officials say that the expansion will begin regardless
of the position adopted by Russia at a summit in Madrid in July.
It is offering Moscow a permanent "Russia-NATO consultative
council" and pledged not to station troops or weapons on the
territory of the new members. Russia has demanded the new members
not be permitted to overhaul existing military establishments,
such as airfields, to bring them in line with NATO standards and
wants NATO to pledge "never" to extend its military umbrella
eastward. "Such assurances would impinge on the sovereignty of
new members and create a second-class membership. That is
unacceptable," said one NATO official.
Shawgi Tell
University at Buffalo
Graduate School of Education
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
