14 Oct. 2004

NATO-Russia defence meeting focuses on terrorism Events Informal meeting of Defence Ministers (IM 2004) Poiana Brasov Background NATO-Russia relations NATO-Russia Council Meeting in Poiana Brasov, Romania, on 14 October, Ministers of Defence from NATO and Russia took stock of cooperation and reiterated their commitment to combat terrorism together. Following a few weeks after the terrorist attacks in the Russian city of Beslan, the meeting focused on how NATO and Russia can cooperate in the fight against terrorism. “It goes without saying, of course, that the fight against terrorism, after the horrors of Beslan, is on the top of our agenda,” Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO Secretary General, stated at a press conference following the meetings. Pushing for interoperability Ministers discussed and agreed to accelerate ongoing efforts to ensure that NATO and Russian forces are interoperable and can take on missions together, when and where NATO nations and Russia agree to do so. In addition to current and future exercises and training programmes, NATO Secretary General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer said that NATO nations hope to see soon Russia supporting NATO's counterterrorist maritime operation, Active Endeavour, in the Mediterranean. The meeting was primarily informal; however, Ministers convened briefly for a formal session to approve a program of cooperation in the area of defence reform for 2005. This new programme will address issues such as changing force structures and capabilities, logistics, management of human and financial resources, reform of defence industries as well as on retraining of retired military personnel.