The new NATO secretary-general yesterday called for a “strategic partnership” with Russia.
In his first public appearance since he took up the post, former Danish prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said good relations with Russia were a priority during his five-year tenure.
His statement will worry NATO members from central Europe and the Baltic who are protesting to the White House over US President Barack Obama’s recent overtures to the Kremlin.
In remarks that appeared in tune with the pragmatic security policies being pushed by Washington, Rasmussen said that relations with Moscow should be guided by “shared interests,” making no reference to common “values.”
Senior NATO officials said Rasmussen was sending a conciliatory signal to the Kremlin and fishing for an invitation to Moscow to discuss a common agenda that could include counter-terrorism programs, Afghanistan, nuclear non-proliferation and action to curb piracy.
His predecessor, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who stood down at the weekend, had poor personal relations with the Russian leadership.
Alarmed by the Russian invasion of Georgia last year and its implications for their own security, the former Soviet satellites of the Baltic and central Europe are appealing to the White House for stronger security guarantees.
The new NATO members are worried that better relations between Moscow and the west could come at their expense.
Several former and current senior officials from the region have just written an open letter voicing fears over the direction of Obama’s foreign policy.
“People question whether NATO would be willing and able to come to our defense in some future crises,” they said two weeks ago. “Our ability to continue to sustain public support depends on us being able to show that our own security concerns are being addressed in NATO.”
They said their hopes for better relations with Moscow had been dashed and they felt bullied.
“Russia is back as a revisionist power pursuing a 19th-century agenda with 21st-century tactics and methods. It challenges our claims to our own historical experiences. It asserts a privileged position in determining our security choices,” the letter said. “It uses overt and covert means of economic warfare, ranging from energy blockades and politically motivated investments to bribery and media manipulation in order to advance its interests.”
But Rasmussen indicated the emphasis was on Russia, not on central Europe.
“We should develop a true strategic partnership with Russia,” he said.
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