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Jaap de Hoop Scheffer: Two words - constructive interaction - must become key in NATO-Russia relations
The Russia-NATO Council is to convene in Moscow for the first time in June for a special meeting to mark the tenth anniversary of the Russia-NATO Founding Act and the fifth anniversary of the Rome Declaration on Russia-NATO partnership, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told Interfax.
"I've been preparing for this trip to Moscow and hope that President Vladimir Putin will receive me as usual, which I highly appreciate, and we shall get back to our Munich discussion," the NATO secretary general said.
"I was disappointed by President Putin's Munich speech, as in my opinion, his assessment of our joint achievements and actual state of cooperation between NATO and Russia was unfair. I would have been entirely on his side if he had said that we lack ambitions. If we decide that we have reached a certain plateau in mounting our relations, we must use the anniversary as an incentive for a new start upwards from this plateau," Scheffer said.
The NATO secretary general said that two words - constructive interaction - must become key in NATO-Russia relations.
"NATO and Russia have an enormous amount of joint work ahead," he said.
Russia and the Alliance face the common threats of terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and "problematic" and "failed" states, Scheffer went on to say.
Noting that NATO and Russia had successfully fulfilled joint projects and carried out joint exercises, Scheffer said that with Sergei Ivanov, the then defense minister, he discussed in Seville in February options for Russia's logistical support to NATO's operation in Afghanistan.
But he expressed regret that the Russian people have a negative view of NATO and of what it does.
"Regarding NATO's image in Russia, we are still to do a great deal, and Russians must assist us in doing so - perhaps, not only the press, but, above all, the Russian leadership," Scheffer said.
He also claimed, that the eventual decision on Kosovo's status could not serve as a precedent either for South Ossetia, or Abkhazia, or other entities seeking independence.
"Be it the Republic of Srpska [within Bosnia and Herzegovina], Chechnya, or some other territory within an existing state, they cannot view Kosovo as an example to follow," de Hoop Scheffer said.
"Kosovo is a unique case. We should all be aware that a decision on Kosovo will have a fundamental significance for European security because we are discussing not something remote but are talking about the Balkans. This region is vital to Europe's stability and security," he said.
"NATO is not involved in the process of determining Kosovo's status. This issue is for the UN Security Council, in which Russia, among others, plays a decisive role. But all the participants in the process should understand that the determination of Kosovo's status is vital not only for peace in the Balkans but in a broader European context," he said.
Asked about measures to protect the Serbs and other ethnic and religious minorities in Kosovo, de Hoop Scheffer said that, according to Martti Ahtisaari's plan, the international military presence in the region will remain. "UN Special Representative Ahtisaari's plan presumes continued international military presence even after the province's status has been determined. NATO will play a very important role there in maintaining stability and security," he said.
De Hoop Scheffer pointed out that there are 16,000 KFOR soldiers under NATO's command in Kosovo. "Along with the UN police forces and Kosovo police, we bear responsibility for security and stability," de Hood Scheffer said.
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