Russia
A pragmatic partnership
President Vladimir Putin and the then NATO Secretary General George Robertson speak to the
press on 28 May 2002 in Rome, after the NATO-Russia summit meeting which established the
NATO-Russia Council.
May 2007 marks two key milestones in NATO-Russia relations. It is the
10th anniversary of the signing of the 1997 NATO-Russia Founding Act on
Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security, which led to the development of a
bilateral programme of consultation and cooperation under the Permanent Joint
Council. It is also the 5th anniversary of the 2002 Rome Summit, where Russian
and Allied leaders agreed to give new impetus and substance to the NATORussia relationship, and established the NATO-Russia Council (NRC). Since
then, NATO member countries and Russia have been working together as
equal partners to develop cooperation in areas of common interest.
These milestones illustrate the remarkable transformation in NATO’s relations
with Russia, since the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet
Union. While there have been ups and downs in the relationship over the years,
in the words of President Putin at the Rome Summit, “We have come a long
way from opposition to dialogue and from confrontation to cooperation.”
Since its establishment, the NRC has developed into a mature and effective
forum for political dialogue and, under its direction, significant progress is
being made in developing concrete, practical cooperation in key areas. The
Allies and Russia do not always agree on everything and differences remain
on some issues, however, the driving force behind the NRC’s pragmatic spirit
of cooperation is the realisation that they share strategic priorities and face
common challenges.
< US and Russian soldiers work alongside each other as part of the NATO-led peacekeeping force in
Bosnia and Herzegovina. (© US DoD)
< Russian and Allied leaders gather at the 2002 Rome Summit.
< The frigate RFS Pitliviy: the first Russian ship to support NATO’s maritime counter-terrorist operation
in the Mediterranean.
2
All photos are © NATO unless otherwise indicated.
Evolution of the NATO-Russia relationship
.
1997
.
At a summit in Paris, Russian and
Allied leaders sign the NATORussia Founding Act on Mutual
Relations, Cooperation and Security
and establish the Permanent Joint
Council (PJC).
1994
1991
.
Russia joins the Partnership for
Peace (PfP).
1994
1991
Formal relations between
NATO and Russia begin when
Russia joins the North Atlantic
Cooperation Council (later
renamed the Euro-Atlantic
Partnership Council), which
was created as a forum for
consultation with the countries
of Central and Eastern Europe
following the end of the Cold
War; the Soviet Union actually
dissolved during the inaugural
meeting of this body.
1996
.
1997
1996
Russian soldiers deploy as part of
the NATO-led peacekeeping force in
Bosnia and Herzegovina.
© US DoD
1998
.
1998
Russia establishes
a diplomatic mission
to NATO.
.
.
1999
Russia suspends participation
in the PJC for a few months
because of NATO’s Kosovo
air campaign.
Russian peacekeepers deploy
as part of the NATO-led
peacekeeping force in Kosovo.
1999
2000
.
.
.
.
.
2001
The NATO Information Office opens
in Moscow.
President Putin is the first world
leader to call the US President after
the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The attacks underscore the need
for concerted international action
to address terrorism and other new
security threats. Russia opens its
airspace to the international
coalition’s campaign in Afghanistan
and shares relevant intelligence.
2001
2000
Vladimir Putin becomes President
of Russia and says he will work to
rebuild relations with NATO in a
“spirit of pragmatism”.
2002
.
.
.
.
2003
NATO and Russia sign
an agreement on
submarine-crew rescue.
Russian troops
withdraw from the
NATO-led peacekeeping
forces in the Balkans.
2003
2002
Broader cooperation in the PJC
resumes, following a meeting of
NATO and Russian foreign
ministers in Florence.
NATO opens a Military Liaison Mission
in Moscow.
At a summit in Rome, Russian and
Allied leaders sign a declaration on
“NATO-Russia Relations: A New
Quality” and establish the NATORussia Council (NRC) to replace
the PJC.
The nuclear submarine Kursk
sinks, highlighting the need for
cooperation between NATO
and Russia.
.
.
A joint NATO-Russia Resettlement
Centre opens to help discharged
Russian military personnel return
to civilian life.
Russia hosts a multinational disasterresponse exercise in Noginsk.
.
2005
.
.
.
2004
.
.
Russia signs the PfP Status of Forces
Agreement.
A UK team helps rescue Russian sailors trapped
in a submarine off the Kamchatka shore.
ussian parliament ratifies the
R
PfP Status of Forces Agreement.
0th anniversary of the
1
Founding Act and
5th anniversary of the NRC.
The NRC launches a pilot project on counternarcotics training for Afghan and Central Asian
personnel.
2005
2004
.
.
.
.
.
2007
RC defence ministers endorse a “PoliticalN
Military Guidance” aimed at developing, over
time, interoperability between Russian and Allied
forces at the strategic, operational and tactical
command levels.
greements establish Russian military liaison
A
offices to NATO’s strategic command headquarters.
Russia hosts a multinational disaster-response
exercise in Kaliningrad.
In the wake of several terrorist attacks in Russia,
NRC foreign ministers approve a comprehensive
NRC Action Plan on Terrorism.
NATO and Russia exchange letters, agreeing
procedures to prepare the way for Russia’s support
for Operation Active Endeavour, NATO’s maritime
counter-terrorist operation in the Mediterranean.
NRC foreign ministers issue a common statement
concerning the conduct of the Ukrainian
presidential elections.
2006
.
.
2007
2006
NRC foreign ministers meeting in Sofia agree
a set of priorities and recommendations to
guide the NRC’s future work.
The first Russian frigate deploys to the
Mediterranean to support Operation
Active Endeavour.
The NATO-Russia Council
The Rome Summit Declaration on “NATORussia Relations: A New Quality” established
the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) as “a
mechanism for consultation, consensusbuilding, cooperation, joint decision, and
joint action for member states of NATO and
Russia on a wide spectrum of security issues
in the Euro-Atlantic region.”
While the NRC’s agenda builds upon that
laid out in the Founding Act of 1997, the
frequency and spirit of meetings have
dramatically changed since the days of its
predecessor, the Permanent Joint Council
(PJC). First and foremost, in the NRC, Russia
and Allies meet as equals – in contrast to the
bilateral “NATO+1” format that was the case
under the PJC.
The NRC works on the principle of
consensus. It is chaired by NATO’s Secretary
General. Meetings are held at least monthly
at the level of ambassadors and military
representatives; twice yearly at the level of
foreign and defence ministers and chiefs of
staff; and occasionally at summit level. An
important innovation is the NRC Preparatory
Committee, which meets at least twice a
month to prepare ambassadorial discussions
and to oversee all experts’ activities under the
auspices of the NRC.
6
Hardly a day goes by without an NRC
meeting at one level or another, which
has led to an unprecedented intensity of
contacts and informal consultation in many
different fields, conducted in a friendly
and professional atmosphere. The NRC
has created several working groups and
committees to develop cooperation on
terrorism, proliferation, peacekeeping, theatre
missile defence, airspace management,
civil emergencies, defence reform, scientific
cooperation and on challenges of modern
society. Experts have been tasked to take
work forward on individual projects in
other areas.
Every year, NRC member countries agree
on an annual work programme. Key areas
of cooperation include the fight against
terrorism, defence reform, military-to-military
cooperation, counter-narcotics training of
Afghan and Central Asian personnel, theatre
missile defence, crisis management and
non-proliferation. Russia also cooperates
with NATO in airspace management, civil
emergency planning, scientific cooperation
and environmental security. In addition, the
Allies and Russia regularly exchange views
on current security issues in the Euro-Atlantic
area, creating thereby a standing mechanism
for consultation on larger political issues.
“At the start of the 21st century we live
in a new, closely interrelated world,
in which unprecedented new threats
and challenges demand increasingly
united responses. Consequently,
we, the member states of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization and the
Russian Federation are today opening
a new page in our relations, aimed at
enhancing our ability to work together in areas of common interest and
to stand together against common threats and risks to our security.”
(Rome Summit Declaration, 28 May 2002)
Medium-term priorities
A stocktaking of the NRC’s activities was
undertaken in spring 2006. NRC member
countries looked at the progress achieved
and challenges identified in the course of
implementing the NRC’s agenda. On this
basis, Allied and Russian foreign ministers
meeting in Sofia in April 2006 agreed a set of
priorities and recommendations to guide the
NRC’s work in the medium term.
..
.
.
.
.
.
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further developing mutual trust,
confidence and transparency with regard
to NATO and Russian armed forces;
further developing interoperability and
cooperation on crisis management;
identifying areas for result-oriented
cooperation on non-proliferation;
heightening public awareness of
the NRC’s goals, principles and
achievements; and
seeking adequate resources to support
NATO-Russia initiatives.
These overarching priorities include:
reinforcing the NRC’s political dialogue;
intensifying efforts to develop
interoperability and to deepen cooperation
on defence reform;
intensifying cooperation in the struggle
against terrorism;
7
Key areas of cooperation
Current security issues
The NRC has provided a forum for the
development of a continuous political
dialogue on current security issues, which
has expanded steadily to include frank
and constructive exchanges on topical and
sometimes controversial issues. Discussions
have been held on subjects such as the
situation in the Balkans, Afghanistan,
Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Central Asia, the
Middle East and Iraq, as well as exchanges
In some instances, political dialogue has
resulted in joint positions – on border control
in the Balkans (February 2003), on defence
reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina (July
2003) and on the presidential elections in
Ukraine (December 2004).
Dialogue has also generated some ideas for
practical cooperation, such as the decision
to launch an NRC pilot project for counternarcotics training of Afghan and Central Asian
personnel (see box).
on issues such as NATO’s transformation,
energy security and missile defence.
Helping tackle trafficking in Afghan narcotics
The trafficking in narcotics from Afghanistan poses a major
challenge for the international community. The country produces
some 90 per cent of the world’s output of opium. The drugs trade
is linked to organised crime and the financing of terrorism. In
addition, drug use poses tremendous social and health problems
which transcend national boundaries.
NRC Foreign Ministers agreed to launch the Pilot Project for Counter-Narcotics Training of
Afghan and Central Asian Personnel in December 2005 to help address the threats posed by
the trafficking in Afghan narcotics. The initiative seeks to build local capacity and to promote
regional networking and cooperation by sharing the combined expertise of NRC member
states with mid-level officers from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
acts as the Pilot Project’s executive agent.
A number of NRC countries are supporting the project through financial or in-kind
contributions. Russia and Turkey have hosted training courses for officers from Afghanistan
and Central Asian countries and mobile courses are also being conducted in the field.
By early 2007, 120 officers from the region had been trained under the initiative – about
350 officers in total are expected to be trained by the end of the pilot phase.
8
The Russian frigate RFS Pitliviy (right) at berth
in the Italian port of Naples, during training
with NATO ships in the Mediterranean in spring
2006, aimed at preparing it for deployment in
support of NATO’s Operation Active Endeavour:
The Pitliviy became the first ship from a Partner
country to support this operation, which was
launched in October 2001 in the wake of the
9/11 terrorist attacks.
The struggle
against terrorism
Cooperation in the struggle against terrorism
has taken the form of regular exchanges of
information, in-depth consultation, joint threat
assessments, civil emergency planning for
terrorist attacks, high-level dialogue on the
role of the military in combating terrorism
and on the lessons learned from recent
terrorist attacks, and scientific and technical
cooperation. NATO Allies and Russia also
cooperate in areas related to terrorism such
as border control, non-proliferation, airspace
management, and nuclear safety.
In December 2004, NRC foreign ministers
approved a comprehensive NRC Action Plan
on Terrorism, aimed at improving overall
coordination and strategic direction of NRC
cooperation in this area.
Moreover, since December 2004, joint predeployment training has been underway
to prepare Russian ships to support
Operation Active Endeavour (OAE), NATO’s
maritime counter-terrorist operation in
the Mediterranean. The Russian frigate
RFS Pitliviy deployed in support of OAE in
September 2006 and another ship started
preparing in early 2007 for deployment later
in the year.
Military-to-military cooperation
Since the NRC was established, military
liaison arrangements have been enhanced,
at the Allied Commands for Operations and
for Transformation, as well as in Moscow.
A key objective of military-to-military
cooperation is to improve the ability of NATO
and Russian forces to work together in
preparation for possible future joint military
operations. A programme has been set up
to develop interoperability, in which training
and exercises are an important component.
The “Political-Military Guidance Towards
Enhanced Interoperability Between Forces
of Russia and NATO Nations”, which was
approved by NRC defence ministers in
June 2005, has added further impetus to
these efforts.
9
Another key document is the Partnership
for Peace Status of Forces Agreement,
which Russia signed in 2004 and the
Russian parliament ratified in May 2007. It
will facilitate further military-to-military and
other practical cooperation, in particular the
deployment of forces participating in joint
operations and exercises. It will also facilitate
Russian logistical support to the NATO-led
International Security Assistance Force
in Afghanistan.
Crisis management
Work in the area of submarine-crew search
and rescue at sea has intensified, since
the signing of a framework agreement on
cooperation in this area in February 2003,
and has contributed to a real-life rescue.
In June 2005, Russia took part in NATO’s
largest-ever search-and-rescue exercise,
Sorbet Royal. In 2008, Russia is planning
to participate in an even more ambitious
exercise, Bold Monarch.
Since 2002, the NRC has taken steps to
prepare for possible future cooperation in
this area, notably through the approval in
September 2002 of “Political Aspects for
a Generic Concept for Joint NATO-Russia
Peacekeeping Operations”. This paper
explores common approaches, establishes
a framework for consultation, planning and
decision-making during an emerging crisis,
and defines issues related to joint training
and exercises.
NATO and Russia have a long history of
cooperation in crisis management. In fact,
between 1996 and 2003, Russia was the
largest non-NATO troop contributor to
NATO-led peacekeeping operations (see
box p.11). Close cooperation in the Balkans
has been critical in improving relations and
building trust between the Russian and
Allied militaries.
A key objective is to improve the ability of NATO
and Russian forces to work together
10
Peacekeeping in the Balkans
For over seven years, until their
withdrawal in summer 2003, Russia
contributed the largest non-NATO
contingent to the UN-mandated,
NATO-led peacekeeping forces
in the Balkans. Russian soldiers
worked alongside NATO and
Partner counterparts to support the
international community’s efforts to
build lasting security and stability
in the region. Russia’s decision to
withdraw its peacekeepers reflected
progress made on the ground in
bringing peace and stability to
the Balkans.
Russian peacekeepers first deployed
to Bosnia and Herzegovina as
part of the Implementation Force
(IFOR) – later replaced by a
© RIA NOVOSTI
smaller Stabilisation Force (SFOR)
– in January 1996. They were part
of a multinational brigade in a northern sector, responsible for an extensive area,
conducting daily patrols, security checks, assisting with reconstruction and performing
humanitarian tasks, such as helping refugees and displaced people return to
their homes.
Russia played a notable diplomatic role in securing an end to the Kosovo conflict,
despite political differences over NATO’s 1999 Kosovo air campaign. Its troops,
originally deployed in June 1999, played an integral part in the Kosovo Force (KFOR)
until their withdrawal in 2003. They worked to maintain security in multinational
brigades in sectors in the east, north and south of the province; exercised joint
responsibility for running the Pristina airfield, alongside a NATO contingent with
responsibility for air movement; and provided medical facilities and services in
Kosovo Polje.
11
Russian military personnel take part in
a theatre missile defence command post
exercise, organised under the auspices of
the NATO-Russia Council in Moscow in
October 2006.
Theatre missile defence
Defence reform
Cooperation in the area of theatre missile
defence is addressing the unprecedented
danger posed to deployed forces by the
increasing availability of ever more accurate
ballistic missiles. A study was launched
in 2003 to assess the possible levels of
interoperability among the theatre missile
defence systems of NATO Allies and Russia.
Initiatives launched in the area of defence
reform focus on the evolution of the military,
management of human and financial
resources, reform of defence industries
and on managing the consequences of
defence reform.
Three command post exercises have been
held to date – the first in the United States
in March 2004, the second in the
Netherlands in March 2005, and the third
in Russia in October 2006. Together with
the interoperability study, command post
exercises are intended to provide the basis
for future improvements to interoperability
and to develop mechanisms and procedures
for joint operations in the area of theatre
missile defence. Over three million euros
have already been committed to the study
and exercise programme.
12
One key project which demonstrates the
practical benefits of NRC cooperation in
this area is the NATO-Russia Resettlement
Centre, which is facilitating the integration of
former Russian military personnel into civilian
life (see box p.13).
A broad-based “Study on NATO-Russia
Defence Industrial and Research and
Technological Cooperation”, launched in
January 2005, is expected to have a positive
impact on future cooperation in this area.
Resettling former military personnel
The NATO-Russia Resettlement Centre retrains and helps retired military personnel
transition to the civilian sector. The Centre, which was officially opened on 21 March
2002, is financed by NATO, while Russia provides the premises for its operation and
makes other contributions in kind.
When it first opened,
the Centre operated
only in Moscow. It
organised short courses
for retraining specialists,
provided information
for discharged military
personnel and created
a web site to provide
relevant information on
resettlement. In 2003,
the Centre opened six
regional branch offices
in Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl, Perm, Rostov/Don and Novosibirsk, as well
as expanding its activities to offer longer (500 hour) professional courses for trainees.
A job placement unit was added to the Centre in 2004. English-language courses
and management courses for small and medium-sized enterprises were added to the
Centre’s activities in 2007.
In the first five years of the Centre’s operation, it has helped find civilian jobs for
725 former military personnel and retrained some 1500, as well as training
600 resettlement specialists. The Centre and its regional branch offices have responded
to some 150 000 consultations — 17 000 face-to-face consultations, the rest through its
web site (www.centre.russia-nato.info).
Airspace management
Significant progress has been made on
the Cooperative Airspace Initiative, which
aims to foster cooperation between NRC
countries on airspace surveillance and air
traffic management. The underlying goal is
to enhance transparency, predictability and
collective capabilities to fight terrorism.
Based on a feasibility study completed in
2005, detailed system requirements and
a project plan were agreed for a system
that will enable the reciprocal exchange of
air traffic data between centres in NATO
countries and in Russia. Implementation
began in March 2006. Operational, training
and exercise concepts and coordination
procedures are also being developed.
13
Non-proliferation, arms
control and nuclear issues
Dialogue on a growing range of issues
related to the non-proliferation of weapons
of mass destruction has developed under the
NRC. Concrete recommendations have been
made to strengthen existing non-proliferation
arrangements. A number of in-depth
discussions and expert seminars have been
held to explore opportunities for practical
cooperation in the protection against nuclear,
biological and chemical weapons.
The NRC has also provided a forum for frank
discussions on issues related to conventional
arms control. A key priority for all NRC
countries is to work towards the ratification
of the Adapted Treaty on Conventional
Forces in Europe. For this to happen, NATO
member countries are waiting for Russia
to fulfil commitments it made at the summit
meeting of the Organization for Security
and Co-operation in Europe in Istanbul in
1999, concerning the withdrawal of its troops
from Georgia and Moldova. NATO member
countries have supported this process,
including by lending financial support to
the relocation of Russian forces and to the
destruction of obsolete munitions. While
progress had been made in recent years
towards implementing Russia’s commitments
to Georgia, this is unfortunately not yet the
case with respect to Moldova.
In the nuclear field, experts have developed
a glossary of terms and definitions and
organised exchanges on nuclear doctrines
and strategy. They have also observed four
nuclear-weapon-accident-response field
exercises in Russia in 2004, the United
Kingdom in 2005, the United States in 2006,
and France in 2007. Inviting experts to attend
such exercises increases transparency,
develops common understanding of nuclearweapon-accident-response procedures,
and builds full confidence that the nuclear
weapon states of NATO (France, the United
Kingdom and United States) and Russia are
fully capable to respond effectively to any
emergency involving nuclear weapons.
An exercise simulating a scenario in which a
nuclear weapon convoy was involved in a road
accident, takes place at a US military base in
Wyoming, in June 2006: Allied and Russian
experts were invited to attend.
© 90TH SPACE WING, US AIR FORCE
14
A Russian helicopter takes part in a major
multinational exercise, organised under the
auspices of the NATO-Russia Council in
Russia’s Kaliningrad Oblast in June 2004:
The exercise scenario practised the coordination of
consequence-management assistance following a
terrorist attack on an oil platform, which had led
to a high number of casualties and a major oil
spill threatening coastal areas.
Civil emergency planning
New threats and challenges
NATO and Russia have been cooperating
since 1996 to develop a capacity for joint
action in response to civil emergencies, such
as earthquakes and floods, and to coordinate
detection and prevention of disasters before
they occur. Moreover, it was a Russian
proposal that led to the establishment in
1998 of the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response
Coordination Centre, which coordinates
responses to disasters among all countries of
the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (the
26 NATO members and 23 Partner countries).
Scientific and technological cooperation
between NATO and Russia dates back
to 1998. Over the years, NATO’s science
programmes, which foster collaboration and
research between scientists in NATO and
Partner countries, have awarded more
grants to scientists from Russia than any
other country.
Under the NRC, a key focus of cooperation
in this area has been to develop capabilities
to manage the consequences of terrorist
attacks. Two disaster-response exercises
held in Russia (in Bogorodsk in 2002, and
Kaliningrad in 2004) and another in
Montelibretti, Italy, in 2006, have resulted
in concrete recommendations for
consequence management.
Under the NRC Science for Peace and
Security Committee, promising work is
taking place on confronting new threats
and challenges through scientific and
environmental cooperation. Key areas
include explosives detection, protection
from chemical, biological, radiological and
nuclear agents, cyber security, psychosocial
consequences of terrorism, transport
security, environmental security and
eco-terrorism, and the forecast and
prevention of catastrophes.
15
Prospects for the future
The NATO-Russia Council has evolved
into a permanent forum for both practical
cooperation and political exchanges at all
levels. It has proven to be a successful
formula, which effectively contributes to
addressing its members’ common challenges
and mutual concerns. Consequently, NRC
member countries continue to look towards
When NRC Ambassadors meet in Moscow
in June 2007 to commemorate the 10th
anniversary of the Founding Act and the
5th anniversary of the Rome Declaration,
they will have an opportunity to take these
proposals further.
areas where cooperation could be extended
beyond the scope defined in the two founding
documents for NATO-Russia relations.
persist on some issues, they remain
determined to continue their cooperation
through the institutional structures of
the NRC. This political will is in itself the
strongest proof that the potential for NATORussia cooperation has not been exhausted,
and that it will continue to expand as it
responds to the exigencies of an everchanging security environment.
Already in April 2006, NRC foreign ministers
identified concrete ways for the further
development of NATO-Russia relations,
which they reviewed at their April 2007
meeting in Oslo, Norway.
16
While differences between NRC members
“Building a true NATO-Russia partnership has never been an easy task.
Nevertheless, in the course of the past decade and the last five years,
in particular, we have together made important progress in the
development of our cooperation to promote our common security…
I am confident that even on matters that appear difficult today,
we will find significant scope for cooperation in the years to come.”
Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at the informal meeting of
NRC foreign ministers — Oslo, Norway, 26 April 2007
Further information
More information on NATO-Russia relations is available online at:
www.nato.int/issues/nato-russia
The NATO Information Office (NIO) sponsors conferences, seminars,
roundtable discussions, as well as organising visits to and from NATO
Headquarters, liaising with journalists and distributing NATO publications.
Address: Ul. Mytnaya 3, 119049 Moscow, Russian Federation
Tel: +7 495 937 3640/3641
Fax: +7 495 937 3809
Email: offi[email protected]
Website: www.nato.int/nio
The Military Liaison Mission (MLM) liaises with the Ministry of Defence and
wider military establishment to promote cooperation, communication and
mutual understanding.
Address: Ul. Mytnaya 3, 119049 Moscow, Russian Federation
Tel: +7 495 775 0282
Fax: +7 495 775 0280
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.nato.int/mlm
© NATO 2007
RUSPAR_ENG0507
Russian Mission to NATO
Address: Avenue de Fré 66, 1180 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0) 2 372 03 59
Fax: +32 (0) 2 375 85 47
Email: [email protected]
NATO Public Diplomacy Division
B-1110 Brussels, Belgium
Website: www.nato.int Email: [email protected]