NATO, Russia set to renew defence ties after Georgia war

Jan 20, 2010, 17:24 GMT

Brussels - NATO and Russia are set to renew formal military ties on Tuesday, a year and a half after they broke them off in the wake of the war between Russia and Georgia, a top NATO official said.

The meeting marks a further thaw in relations between the two Cold War foes, after the icy chill which followed Russia's invasion of would-be NATO member Georgia in August 2008.

The chiefs of defence, the top military officers of Russia and NATO's 28 members, are set to meet in Brussels to hold an 'exchange of views on the possibility of potential practical military cooperation,' Colonel Massimo Panizzi, public information advisor to the chairman of NATO's military committee, told journalists.

The last time they met was in May 2008.

The chiefs of defence could, for example, discuss cooperation on anti-terrorism and counter-piracy operations, rescue at sea and logistical support for some missions, Panizzi said.

NATO and Russia currently enjoy an uneasy co-existence in Europe, where they are at odds over issues of geopolitical influence, but feel forced to cooperate on common threats.

Russia, for example, allows NATO to pass non-military supplies to its UN-mandated mission in Afghanistan through Russian territory, and both NATO and Russia have sent warships to the Gulf of Aden to fight piracy.

In December, the foreign ministers of Russia and NATO members agreed to carry out a joint assessment of the future threats facing them, as a means to improve mutual trust and cooperation.

The joint review was the brainchild of NATO's new secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who took office in August.

Separately, NATO's chiefs of defence are also expected to meet their Ukrainian counterpart to discuss Ukraine's forthcoming commitment to NATO's rapid-reaction force.

Ukraine is expected to contribute troops to the standing force, whose job is to provide a first armed response in crisis situations, from June 2010 to January 2011. It would be the first time a non-NATO member has joined the force.