 Polish minister urges stronger NATO presence in eastern Europe Berlin (AFP) Jan 28, 2016 - Poland's defence minister said on Thursday that NATO's presence must be boosted in eastern Europe to counter the threat posed by Russia. For Poland, "strengthening the eastern flank of NATO is a priority," Antoni Macierewicz said during a meeting with his German counterpart Ursula von der Leyen in Berlin. "The issue of Russian aggression in Ukraine remains a very important issue" for Poland, he added, speaking as Warsaw prepares to host a NATO summit in July. Poland has led demands for a permanent NATO presence in the former communist states once ruled from Moscow, but the alliance has been cautious for fear of being accused by Russia of breaching key treaties ending the Cold War. These agreements ban NATO from setting up permanent military bases in eastern Europe but do allow the alliance to hold exercises and rotate limited forces through the area. Polish President Andrzej Duda pressed NATO last week to establish "as permanent as possible" a presence in eastern Europe. And Poland's Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski recently accused Berlin of countering a stronger NATO presence because it wanted to defend "Russian interests". Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo is due to visit Berlin on February 12. Von der Leyen said July's NATO summit would "show that the alliance, given the changing security situation, must be able to act in a more agile, more flexible and faster way". Since the Ukraine conflict, NATO has established a high-speed response force with forward command and logistic centres in its eastern members. NATO says these forces are very small and cannot be considered bases.
|
NATO head Jens Stoltenberg confirmed Thursday the alliance is discussing whether to hold its first formal talks with Russia since 2014 when the Ukraine crisis plunged relations into a deep freeze.
Stoltenberg said NATO and Russia needed transparency to avoid misunderstandings and incidents such as the November shooting down of a Russian fighter jet by key alliance member Turkey after it violated its airspace along the Syrian border.
"We are looking into the possibility of holding a NATO-Russia Council meeting," Stoltenberg said, confirming a January 20 AFP story that the alliance was considering such talks.
"We have never suspended the Council but we think... now it's time to look into the possibility for having a meeting," he told a press briefing on NATO's annual report for 2015.
"No final decision has been taken but we will also discuss that with the Russian delegation at NATO and then make a final decision on when to have such a meeting."
US-led NATO suspended all practical cooperation with Russia after its intervention in Ukraine and 2014 annexation of Crimea but it left in place the NRC as a possible channel of communication with Moscow.
The NRC groups all 28 NATO member states, usually at ambassador level with their Russian counterpart, to manage ties. It held a last, frosty meeting in June 2014.
Germany has led calls for an opening to Moscow as the West looks to Russia for help on key issues such as Syria and the threat from the Islamic State group.
Stoltenberg gave no further details as to the agenda or timing of an NRC meeting but it is widely expected to take place late next month, after a meeting of NATO defence ministers, or in early March.
Diplomatic sources told AFP last week one possibility was to hold a series of NRC meetings in the run-up to a NATO leaders summit in Warsaw in July.
They said the aim was to help manage a difficult relationship with a more assertive Russia and convey a clear message of "deterrence and transparency."
Stoltenberg and NATO officials stress that while the NRC has not met since 2014, there have been numerous contacts with Russia and he has met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
| . |
|
|
Tweet |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Google
