24 May 2006

Historic Pskov is penultimate NATO-Russia Rally stop News 22/05/2006 - NATO NATO-Russia Rally goes from Moscow to Murmansk 19/05/2006 - NATO Rally arrives in Moscow 17/05/2006 - NATO Russia Rally comes to ‘Hero City’ 15/05/2006 - NATO NATO-Russia Rally close to halfway mark 13/05/2006 - NATO Yekaterinburg - defence reform in the spotlight 12/05/2006 - NATO Science city second stop on NATO-Russia Rally 11/05/2006 - NATO NATO-Russia rally starts at the end of the line 04/05/2006 - NATO NATO-Russia Rally to take place in Russia Events Акция «Россия-НАТО: объединяя усилия» 11-26 мая 2006 г. Multimedia Rally map Pskov, well over a thousand years old and one of Russia’s oldest cities, played host to the penultimate NATO-Russia Rally stop and a day of debate on NATO-Russia military-military cooperation. The day the Rally came to Pskov, 24 May, was a festive one. It was graduation day for many of the cities’ students and the celebration of Saints Cyril and Methodius, two Orthodox saints who created the foundation for today’s Cyrillic alphabet and are the patrons of learning and education. And learning was what this Rally stop was all about. The programme began with an frank debate about the evolution of NATO-Russia military cooperation, with military experts and a number of Ambassadors taking part. Debate and discussion It dealt with both the successes of NATO-Russia cooperation, as well as the issues on which NATO and Russia continue to differ. The conference also discussed the factors that hamper cooperation between NATO and Russia, including a history of confrontation, stereotypes, lack of resources and limited interoperability between forces. The discussions were followed by a youth forum which brought together over 100 young people from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia, to discuss prospects for cooperation in confronting today’s security threats. As in previous Rally stops, a cultural programme and an evening of music, gave the participants a much needed respite, particularly as the Rally has now covered several thousand miles since it began on 11 May in Vladivostok. Next and final stop – Kaliningrad, 26 May.