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New NATO chief: Russia must respect neighbors' sovereignty
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-04 10:10 BRUSSELS: NATO will pursue its drive for a strategic partnership with Russia, the new head of the alliance, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said Monday in his first day on the job. But as the first anniversary of the Russia-Georgia war nears, he said Moscow must respect the sovereignty and integrity of its neighbors.
Rasmussen 56, who took over on Saturday as secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), faces many challenges but none more daunting than finding a winning strategy for the war in Afghanistan and improving relations with its former Cold War foe Russia. The former Danish premier also has to delicately manage expectations in Ukraine and Georgia, former Soviet republics that have been promised eventual NATO membership despite Moscow's resistance. Looking beyond Europe Outlining his prioirities duringhis first day on the job, Fogh Rasmussen said he would name a group of eminent persons who will draft NATO's new strategic concept. The concept - basically the alliance's mission statement - will reflect NATO's new role outside Europe, its traditional area of focus.
Alliance leaders chose Fogh Rasmussen to succeed de Hoop Scheffer during their summit in April. The Dane was a controversial choice because he infuriated many Muslims following the 2005 publication in Denmark of 12 cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Rasmussen said the 28-member alliance and Russia had common goals in the key areas of counter-terrorism, Afghanistan, disarmament and non-proliferation. Afghanistan a key concern The situation in Afghanistan will require a comprehensive approach involving both military and civilian efforts to stabilise the country, he said in an interview with Reuters. He has to persuade reluctant European allies to commit more troops, money and other resources to Afghanistan, where opinion polls have shown popular support for the war waning in Europe as casualties increase among NATO forces. His predecessor, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, has repeatedly warned that the war in Afghanistan represents a crucial test of the power and relevance of the 60-year-old alliance. "First of all we have to make sure that the security situation improves, but obviously there's no military solution solely," Rasmussen said. On relations with Russia, "I think we should develop practical cooperation ... while of course insisting on Russian compliance with her international obligations," hesaid. NATO's relations with Russia were damaged by the five-day Russia-Georgia war last year. Rasmussen will try to repair this damage, mindful also of the need to cooperate with Russia on global security issues. The alliance has put the subject of Georgian and Ukrainian NATO membership on the back burner in the interest of getting relations with Moscow back on track, but says membership remains open to countries that meet NATO standards. "My goal is to develop a true strategic partnership with Russia, while of course realising that there might be differences in our positions in a number of areas," Rasmussen said. Reuters - AP |
