MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia-NATO relations should not be focused on the establishment of the "twenty" framework, but on the implementation of the 1997 Founding Act, Vice President of the Geopolitical Academy Colonel General Leonid Ivashov said on Wednesday.
The Founding Act stipulates Russia and NATO "as absolutely equal sides," said Ivashov. The document paves the way for "focusing on the establishment of a European security system, with Russia participating on equal terms in the process," he said.
The "twenty" format contains "a few constructive, but a lot
The sides are showing more concern "for the name of the format than for the paradigm of cooperation," he said.
"As early as tomorrow," a resolution might be passed to enlarge NATO, and then the format will have to be changed to "let's say, twenty- five," he said.
It is very difficult to reach agreements with the 19 NATO member-countries because each of them can resort to a veto, he said. Furthermore, "the range of cooperation has been narrowed down." Talks are being conducted on spheres beyond NATO expertise, notably combating terrorism and the eradication of drug trafficking and illegal arms trade, he said.
Asked about Russia's response to a possible air strike against Iraq, Ivashov replied that "Russia must comply with the UN Charter; it should not back the action in any event."