NATO moots veto power for Russia

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, NOV. 23. Russia has offered to build as close a relationship with NATO as the alliance will accept but stopped short of seeking a full-fledged membership.

``Russia is not standing in the queue to join NATO, but on the other hand, it is ready to develop relations as far as the North Atlantic alliance is prepared to go,'' the Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, said hosting the NATO Secretary- General, Lord Robertson, in the Kremlin on Friday.

The NATO chief is in Moscow to discuss a new pattern of relations with Russia to replace the ``19+1'' formula which has failed to work. The 1997 formula provided for monthly meetings between NATO and Russia but did not include the principle of consensus and therefore did not give Moscow the political clout it was seeking on issues of European security. In fact, Moscow freezed all contacts with NATO after the latter intervened militarily in Yugoslavia.

Russia's Defence Minister, Mr. Sergei Ivanov, said Moscow wanted a ``completely new mechanism'' in which NATO members and Russia would discuss issues as equal partners. ``This would enable Russia to have, if you like, voting rights, the right to take decisions,'' he said after talks with Lord Robertson.

The NATO Secretary-General did not rule out giving Moscow partial veto power in NATO in return for co-operation in the war on terror. He said this was ``one of the implications'' of a plan put forward by the British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, who called for inviting Russia to join NATO in discussing specific topics on the basis of equality.

The head of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Mr. Rafael Estralla, who is also in Moscow for talks with Russian MPs, said the ``19+1'' formula in NATO-Russia relations could change in the next few months to a ``full 20'' format on selected issues, such as international terrorism, organised crime, drug trafficking, peace-keeping operations and some other areas.

Analysts here said NATO's new overtures to Moscow were partly prompted by concerns that the alliance had found itself sidelined in the U.S.-led war against terrorism, whereas Russia had emerged as Washington's key ally. Lord Robertson declared in Moscow an 180-degree change in NATO's view of the Russian war in Chechnya. He said after the September 11 attacks the alliance was ``viewing with different eyes the scourge of terrorism in Chechnya'' and ``fully shares and supports'' Russia's anti-terrorist operation in the Northern Caucasus. The NATO Secretary-General said Russia and the North Atlantic alliance could shortly hold joint sea rescue exercises.

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Section  : International
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