Press Conference after a Meeting with NATO Secretary General George Robertson Part 1
October 3, 2001
Brussels
Пресс-конференция по итогам беседы с Генеральным секретарем НАТО Джорджем Робертсоном
3 октября 2001 года
Брюссель
LORD ROBERTSON: Ladies and Gentlemen,
President Putin and I have had a long conversation about a whole series of issues of mutual interest to Russia and to NATO. I think these discussions have marked a major milestone in NATO-Russia relationships and I think the two of us have acquired the habit of straight talking which allows us to make our relationship the relationship between Russia and NATO, ever more relevant.
The recent horrifying atrocities in the United States I think have underlined the fact that there is far more that unites NATO and Russia than has divided us in the past few years. And on behalf of the North Atlantic Alliance I would like to offer my profound thanks to President Putin and to the Russian people for this spontaneous way in which they have reacted to the terrible atrocity which affected America three weeks ago.
And what the people of the world now expect is decisive leadership from the leaders of the democratic world at a time when their safety has become overshadowed by international terrorism and its tentacles.
For some forty years NATO and Russia sat and glowered at each other, for another ten years we tip-toed around each other but now I believe that we are entering an era where substantial and practical cooperation is going to build a unique relationship between us.
Russia is a special and a major partner of NATO and in the NATO-Russia Permanent Joint Council we have already established a very considerable programme of cooperation on subjects and areas that would have been unimaginable only a few years ago. And today we have identified a number of new areas where NATO and Russia can work together only some of them arising out of the need to deal with the terrorist challenge which faces all of us equally.
Yesterday, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation declared that the attack on the United States of America on the 11th of September should be taken as an attack on all other 18 NATO allies. The attack at the heart of the United States was not just an attack on the United States and members of NATO it was an attack on the values that unite Russia with the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance and that must make us all the more committed to acting decisively against those who bring such wanton and reckless violence into the heart of any civilised city.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to stress that while we focused, of course, on the terrorist threat, we went far beyond that particular problem and discussed the whole range of issues pertaining to relations between Russia and NATO. It was a very frank and substantive discussion. We discussed the situation in various regions of the world and ways to improve the relations between Russia and NATO. We have accumulated a good experience of cooperation. And I think we could profitably discuss the development of our relations in at least two areas. These are joint efforts in the purely political sphere and broadening our cooperation in the fight against terror. The Secretary General did not mention it, but I dont think I would divulge a big secret if I say that the Secretary General has proposed creating a working body to consider the possibilities of expanding, deepening and qualitatively improving the relations between Russia and NATO. I find it a very good and useful proposal. We will certainly support it. Thank you for the initiative.
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В.Путин.Пресс-конференция.03.10.01.Part 3by niknikolay125 views
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