NATO to Re-Engage with Russian Leaders

NATO said it would re-engage and resume contacts with the Russian leadership frozen following the August war in Georgia, Reuters and The Associated Press reported.

Ambassadors from NATO’s 26 nations met with Dmitry Rogozin, Russia’s envoy to the alliance in Brussels on January 26. NATO spokesman James Appathurai said that the two-hour meeting had focused on areas of common interest, in particular on Afghanistan.

“There were no recriminations from any of the ambassadors and they are all looking forward to the next step, which is the [NATO] secretary-general’s engagement at the political level with the Russian leadership in coming weeks,” Reuters reported quoting Appathurai.

“There was a very positive discussion, a very positive spirit, with no recriminations or any desire to dredge up past disagreements,” The Associated Press reported quoting Appathurai.

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the NATO Secretary General, said on August 19 after an emergency session of NATO foreign ministers dedicated to the war in Georgia, that NATO-Russia Council would not be convened, if Russia continued “occupying” Georgian territories. At that time the Russian troops were in control of areas deep inside the Georgian territory, beyond the breakaway regions. In December, the NATO Foreign Ministers decided to gradually resume “informal” contacts with Russia.

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