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NATO and Nuclear WeaponsNATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting, December 7, 2007Martin Butcher NATO foreign ministers meet in Brussels on December 7 for their regular North Atlantic Council (NAC) meeting, and for a meeting of the NATO Russia Council (NRC) when they will hold talks with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. The NAC will be dominated by the ongoing NATO missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan. However, the two days are overshadowed by worsening relations with Russia. The US intention to deploy missile defences in eastern Europe; the Russian suspension of the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE) (following the failure by NATO nations to ratify the adapted treaty agreed in 1999); and the pending crisis on the status of Kosovo all combine to ensure that the NRC will be the most difficult meeting for some time. NATO will also meet with the Ukraine and hold a lunch meeting with Mediterranean Dialogue partners during the day. On Thursday December 6, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer held bilateral meetings, notably with Poland. Poland and NATODe Hoop Scheffer's bilateral with Polish Foreign Minister Rodoslaw Sikorski on December 6 followed a meeting with new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on December 4 at NATO HQ. US intentions to develop a missile defence interceptor featured prominently in both meetings. PM Tusk told journalists after his meeting that "What we need to do above all is to strengthen Polish security ... in full cooperation with NATO and the EU (European Union)..", but that no "breakthroughs" should be expected towards missile defence deployment. He added that Poland wants the fullest possible cooperation with NATO on missile defense. Previously Tusk has promised Russian President Putin that Poland will consult with Russia as part of ongoing negotiations. His host de Hoop Scheffer was embarrassed into a denial that NATO had any part in the negotiations between the US and Poland. The US has tried to keep missile defence negotiations on a bilateral footing with Poland and the Czech Republic, the host of the other proposed site in Europe. NATO ministers, and many in the US Congress have sought to make the matter a multilateral NATO one. No statement was issued after the Thursday meeting, but earlier this week Sikorski announced that he will resume talks with the Bush administration only after a round of consultations with NATO allies. NATO sources say that missile defence will be among the more controversial topics during Friday's meetings, especially that with Russia. Russia, Missile Defences and CFERelations between Russia and NATO have been growing steadily worse this year. Russia has objected strongly to the US missile defence plans for Europe, contending that they are aimed primarily at Russia. It was reported earlier this week that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov complained that Washington had reneged on an offer to allow full-time Russian monitors to be based at the Czech and Polish sites, saying that he was "disappointed at how ideas that appeared to be moving in a reasonable direction turned out on paper." Other Russian spokespeople said that the US was being "unconstructive". Russia has also suspended its participation in the CFE treaty, partly in reaction to the US missile defence plans, but also because NATO nations have failed to ratify the Adapted CFE treaty signed in 1999. Russia is now insisting on ratification and additional changes to allow for further NATO expansion since 1999 before returning to the Treaty. Finally, the issue of the future of Kosovo has also soured relations. Albanian Kosovans intend shortly to declare independence, and have the support of many (although not all) NATO governments. Russia vehemently opposes independence for Kosovo. Final resolution of the status of the province, currently under UN-backed NATO-EU administration and protection, must soon be agreed. Russia has accused NATO of encouraging the Albanian population to block a proper regional solution, and raised the fear of renewed fighting in Kosovo. Middle EastA NATO spokesman also said NATO ministers will meet with Mediterranean Dialogue partners to discuss cooperation in fighting terrorism and the Middle East after Annapolis, the US-backed peace conference that recently relaunched Israeli-Palestinian talks. ConclusionThis will be a busy and difficult series of meetings for NATO ministers, with other topics including Iran crowding into sessions even if not officially. And as always these days, Afghanistan is on everyone's minds when NATO meets.
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