For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 28, 2004
Fact Sheet: Nato-Russia Relations
The NATO-Russia Council met at the level of Foreign Ministers in
parallel with today's NATO Summit meeting. The NATO-Russia
relationship is an important part of NATO's transformation. Together,
NATO and Russia have pledged to work together as partners to address
challenges in the 21st century.
Today's NATO-Russia cooperation is based on an agreed work plan
developed in accordance with guidance NATO and Russia leaders agreed to
at their May 2002 Summit meeting in Italy.
Over the past two years, NATO and Russia have intensified their
cooperation, for example by agreeing to:
- Launch a military-to-military interoperability program to allow
Russian and NATO troops to operate jointly;
- Conduct civil emergency exercises in Russia and develop a
multinational rapid deployment capability for civil emergencies;
- Complete joint assessments of terrorist threats;
- Cooperate on submarine search and rescue; and
- Conduct a Joint Theater Missile Defense Command Post Exercise in Colorado Springs in March 2004.
Today, in response to NATO's offer, Russia announced its agreement
to join Operation Active Endeavor, NATO's anti-terrorist naval
operations in the Mediterranean.
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