26 June 2007
Russian President Putin said NATO-Russia relations have “transferred from the period of confrontation to a period of cooperation”, following a special meeting in Moscow to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the NATO-Russia Council, 26 June.
The second day of commemorative events included a special session of the NATO-Russia Council in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attending.
“The Ambassadors of the NATO-Russia Council, reiterated their determination to use the NRC as a forum for frank political dialogue and deepening, mutually beneficial practical cooperation between NATO and Russia,” a statement from the meeting declared.
Later in the day, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer met with Russian President Putin at the Kremlin, to discuss some of the key issues on the NATO-Russia agenda.
“There is no alternative to NATO-Russia cooperation,” Mr. De Hoop Scheffer stressed following the meeting.
“We're hoping that the permanent Russia-NATO dialogue will contribute to the solution of all problems for the sake of international security, and the strengthening of peace in the whole world," said President Putin, noting that "of course, it implies much varied work, and it cannot
run free of problems."
The two days of commemorative events, which began on 25 June in St. Petersburg, celebrate five years of the NATO-Russia Council, established in May 2002, and 10 years of the Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between NATO and the Russian Federation, signed in May 1997.
The events included the launch of an official NATO-Russia Council Web site.
The celebration also provided an opportunity for NATO Ambassadors to engage in public diplomacy events.
“NATO-Russia cooperation is not just about overcoming the legacy of the past; it is first and foremost about building a more secure future,” said the NATO Secretary General in a speech on the first day of the celebrations.
