Bucharest - Urging cooperation from Western leaders, Russian
President Vladimir Putin insisted Friday that NATO cannot solve the
world's security problems without Russian help.
'What can be done without Russia?' Putin repeatedly asked after a
meeting with alliance leaders in Bucharest which touched on such
diverse global concerns as terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of
mass destruction and security in Afghanistan.
Putin underlined the 'constructive' and 'positive' spirit of the
talks in the Romanian capital.
But in a speech that mixed conciliatory tones with veiled threats,
he also cautioned the alliance against spreading its influence to
include former Soviet republics such as Georgia and Ukraine.
'The appearance of a powerful military bloc along our borders
would be taken in Russia as a direct threat to our security,' Putin
said.
'And statements that it is not directed at us cannot be taken as
sufficient. Security cannot be based on promises,' he added.
Putin questioned the role of NATO after the collapse of communism,
saying: 'There is no USSR, there is no Warsaw Pact. Against whom does
NATO exist?'
But he stressed there was no question of a return to the Cold War
era and confirmed that Russia wished to play a bigger role in world
affairs alongside NATO.
'We want to be heard. We want to address concerns and issues
together,' he said.
Speaking just before Putin, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop
Scheffer welcomed the 'positive spirit' demonstrated by Putin in
Bucharest, pointing to a transport deal on Afghanistan as evidence of
an improvement in relations between the alliance and Moscow.
'There was no hiding of views, but the spirit was positive,' the
NATO chief said after the NATO-Russia Council (NRC).
Ahead of the NRC, the NATO chief had called on the Russian leader
to steer clear of 'unhelpful rhetoric' during the meeting.
And though he acknowledged that deep divisions remained, he
expressed satisfaction at the fact that Putin had helped produce
'constructive' talks in Bucharest.
'This morning I am not complaining about unhelpful rhetoric,' de
Hoop Scheffer said.
During the course of the meeting, NATO and Russia formalized a
transport agreement in support of the alliance's International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.
The deal will allow non-lethal goods destined for ISAF to be
transported through Russian territory on their way to Afghanistan.
The NATO-Russia Council (NRC) was established at a 2002 meeting in
Pratica di Mare, near Rome, as a means of fostering mutual
understanding.
But relations between NATO and Russia have progressively worsened
since, reaching one of their lowest post-Cold War points over the
past year.
Disagreements cover a variety of issues, including Kosovo and NATO
expansion.
And Putin was less than pleased with Thursday's announcement
that the United States and the Czech Republic had reached an
agreement to site elements of a US anti-ballistic-missile system on
Czech soil.
The radar in the Czech Republic, which the US says is intended to
protect the West from rogue states such as Iran, will be part of any
future NATO missile defence system.
The Kremlin objects to the US plan, arguing that it poses a threat
to its own security and deterrent capability, and has suspended its
participation in the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) in
response.
Speaking Friday, de Hoop Scheffer acknowledged that 'no stunning
breakthroughs' had been achieved in Bucharest, but underlined the
importance of holding such regular meetings with Russia.
'We use the NRC to discuss items we agree on ... but even more
importantly, we use the NRC on the items we do not agree on, be it
enlargement of NATO, be it the adapted CFE treaty, be it Kosovo,' he
said.
Friday's brief NRC - lasting only about one hour - took place in
Bucharest's Palace of the Parliament, a monstrous 330,000-square-
metre mansion built during the regime of former communist dictator
Nicolae Ceausescu.
It was the first to be attended by Putin since its creation and
the last by his US counterpart, George W Bush.
The two leaders were due to meet again in the Black Sea resort of
Sochi over the weekend.
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