Russian permanent representative to NATO Dmitry Rogozin
Photo: Dmitry Dukhanin
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Rogozin Sees Georgian, Ukrainian “Defeat”
Russian permanent representative to NATO Dmitry Rogozin told radio station Echo of Moscow that the decision of the NATO council of foreign ministers not to give Ukraine and Georgia membership action plans was a defeat for Orange Ukraine and the regime of Mikheil Saakashvili in Georgia. He noted that NATO did, however, propose a yearlong preparatory plan for those countries.
Rogozin said that relations between Russia and NATO would “shape up incrementally.” NATO General Secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer “has been authorized by the NATO foreign ministers to make direct contact with Russian representatives and discuss forms of restoration of a political dialog,” Rogozin said. “We look at that decision [on Ukraine and Georgia] with cautious optimism. NATO has changed its position on Russia as well as on Ukraine and Georgia.”
Relations between Russia and NATO grew strained after Georgia began military actions in South Ossetia on August 8 of this year. Russia moved troops into the area to defend the residents of that republic, and NATO accused Russia of making a disproportionate response. Russia then froze a number of joint programs with NATO, including the Partnership for Peace, peacekeeping cooperation, the NATO informational bureau in Moscow and a visit by de Hoop Scheffer to Moscow. Joint exercises and stops by NATO ships in Russian ports were also cancelled.
Russia did not stop the functioning of the Russia-NATO Council on control over conventional weapons or cooperation on airspace, however. Nor did it stop cooperating with NATRO on Afghanistan.
www.kommersant.com
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