BRUSSELS, Jan 26: Nato and Russia rel-aunched military ties on Tuesday, with senior officers meeting for the first time since the high-level talks were frozen over Moscow’s war with Georgia in 2008, a spokesman said.
In a first contact, Russian chief of staff Nikolai Makarov held talks with the head of the alliance’s military committee, Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, before joining the full committee for a so-called Nato-Russia Council. The council is the highest level forum for relations between the two.
The focus of the talks was cooperation on Afghanistan, Di Paola’s spokesman said. Nato and Russia have already reached agreement on the transit of non-lethal supplies across Russian territory by rail for the operation in Afghanistan, where Nato is struggling to hold off a Taliban-led insurgency.
The two are also discussing whether to broaden that accord to include other kinds of equipment, including weaponry, and they are trying to finalise a separate air transit agreement. On Dec 4, Nato and Russian foreign ministers announced their intention to re-launch relations, including military ties, which have also been strained over missile defence, arms pacts and the recognition of Kosovo.
Ahead of the Nato-Russia Council, the 28-member military alliance held talks with Ukraine, whose outgoing government aspires to join Nato but whose public is opposed. Despite not being a member, Ukraine is a major contributor to Nato military missions.—AFP (courtesy-Dawn)
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