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Georgia and Ukraine have a sovereign right to choose their preferred security arrangements – Scheffer
1. President Vladimir Putin of Russia is taking part in a NATO summit meeting at the very end of his mandate and after a period of harsh rhetoric. Why is his participation important for the Alliance?
The presence of President Putin in the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) summit meeting will make for an excellent opportunity to discuss our relations and chart the way forward. President Putin is one of the founding fathers of the NRC, set up in 2002 in Rome. In my view the NRC has fully lived-up to expectations. We have a vigorous schedule of political consultations, where all 27 NRC members discuss key international security issues. This includes topics where Russian and Allied views do not coincide. Equally important - our relationship is producing daily results in practical cooperation: fight against terrorism, stabilizing situation in Afghanistan or increasing transparency. I am sure that there will be much substance to discuss at the meeting with President Putin in Bucharest.
2. Do Ukraine and Georgia have perspectives to get MAP in Bucharest? Is there a consensus in NATO on this move? What specific changes can involve the MAP in their relations with NATO? How far from the membership will they be in such case?
I can not answer a question on the decisions of the summit before it begins. But I can be clear on the principles. The enlargement process and the open door policy of NATO remain "an ongoing project". NATO will decide by itself on how to respond to legitimate requests of countries that have a sovereign right to choose their preferred security arrangements. This is the case of both Georgia and Ukraine. Relevant decisions will of course be "performance based" and will require all Allies to be fully comfortable with progress made by individual aspirants.
Let me also add here that Allies have always been ready to discuss any specific worries and concerns that the Russian Federation may have in relation to our enlargement process.
3. What is needed for organizing an overland transit of NATO goods across Russia to Afghanistan? Is it important for NATO?
We are currently discussing with our Russian partners an agreement that would regulate precisely such transit. I am hoping for a successful outcome of these talks by the time of the summit. Such arrangements would of course be of valuable logistic assistance to our ISAF troops. Their success in stabilizing Afghanistan is clearly in the interest of Russia too, benefiting the stability of the whole region adjacent to Russia itself.
4. What role can NATO play in securing energy supplies for Europe? Will the energy security be discussed in Bucharest?
Energy security will indeed be discussed in Bucharest. It is one of the issues we often describe as the 21st century security challenges - together with such threats as proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or cyber space attacks. Allies are currently in the process of defining the appropriate areas where NATO can provide a value added to existing initiatives of other international organizations. I believe that NATO has important capabilities and expertise that could be employed for example to improve the safety of sea lanes, of critical energy infrastructure or result in more focused information sharing essential for improved energy security.
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