- guardian.co.uk,
- Tuesday May 28 2002 13:52 BST
As 19 alliance leaders and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin took turns signing an agreement creating a new Nato-Russia council, the US president, George Bush, said: "Two former foes are now joined as partners."
Accepting the new accord, launched at an Italian air base near Rome, Mr Putin said: "We have come a long way from confrontation to dialogue, and from confrontation to cooperation."
Under the new arrangement, Russia will have more authority in the new body than in an earlier, less formal arrangement set up several years ago to try to move Moscow closer to the West.
Even so, its future involvement will be limited to certain areas. They include crisis management, peacekeeping and such military areas as air defence, search-and-rescue operations and joint exercises.
"The significance of this meeting is difficult to overestimate," Mr Putin said earlier, noting that a few years ago, such a role for Russia "would have been, simply, unthinkable, whereas today it has become a reality".
Even though Russia was not admitted as a full partner and has a limited role, "we must understand this Rome declaration ... is only a beginning", he said.
The prime minister, Tony Blair, told fellow attending world leaders that the new accord will help fight international terrorism. Leader after leader cited September 11 as a crucial factor as to why the council was important.
Mr Bush said: "The attacks ... made clear that the new dangers of our age threaten all nations, including Russia. The months since have made clear that by working together against these threats, we multiply our effectiveness." Mr Putin agreed, and mentioned a blast during a holiday parade in the Russian region of Dagestan on May 9, killing 41 people. Russia blames Islamic extremists for the attack.
Mr Blair told the council: "In a world where there are so many points of instability at the moment, the Middle East or India and Pakistan for example, this is a great sign of optimism and faith in our future."
He continued: "The reality that exists today is that whatever the past, North America, Europe and Russia, share many of the same challenges and goals today.
"If I take my own country, the British people today do not fear the Russian people, but both the Russian people and the British people fear the malice and menace of international terrorism.
"They fear the possibility of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of irresponsible and extreme states. And all of us have a common interest, from the Balkans through Afghanistan to other parts of the world in replacing disorder and chaos with order and stability."
In his remarks, Mr Blair stressed that Russia was being welcomed to the table on equal terms with the Nato states.
Blair hints at Iraq action
Despite Russia's traditional closeness to Iraq, Mr Blair hinted that the new council would have to grapple, eventually, with Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction programme.
Mr Blair said: "Weapons of mass destruction are as potent a threat as international terrorism. Different situations will require different solutions. But it is there and it is real and we have to deal with it and doing nothing is not an option."
He also alluded to changing defence technologies, an apparent reference to America's missile defence programme. He said: "There are new methods of defence, new systems of working that we need to think about as well."
Earlier today the Nato secretary-general, Lord Robertson, was asked if the logic was for Nato to invite Russia to join the alliance. Lord Robertson said: "Nato is not an organisation that issues invitations. People apply to join Nato ... Russia doesn't wish to apply for membership."
Asked what Nato's response would be if Russia did apply to join, he said: "That is a hypothetical question. But I can't tell what the future holds. If this new level of cooperation that is launched today in Rome becomes meaningful, produces results, produces joint action and joint implementation, then we will make the world better and safer, and who knows where that will lead in the future."
