Fact sheet of NRC practical cooperation
Introduction
In 1997 NATO and Russia signed the NATO-Russia Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security, which provided the formal basis for NATO-Russia relations and led to the development of a bilateral programme of consultation and cooperation under the Permanent Joint Council (PJC).
In 2002 the relationship was given new impetus and substance with the signature of the Rome Declaration on “NATO-Russia relations: A New Quality”, which established the NATO-Russia Council. At that time NRC Heads of State and Government agreed to enhance their ability to work together in areas of common interest and to stand together against common threats and risks to their countries’ security.
The 2008 NRC Summit in Bucharest is the first such event since the signature of the Rome Declaration. It will examine how NRC work over the last six years has implemented the objectives and principles of the Rome Declaration what can be done in order to implement them even more effectively in the future.
Over the last six years the NATO-Russia Council has developed a number of practical cooperation projects in the following areas of common interest.
NRC Practical Cooperation
Struggle Against Terrorism
NATO-Russia Cooperation in the struggle against terrorism has taken the form of regular exchanges of information, in-depth consultation, joint threat assessments, civil emergency planning for terrorist attacks, high-level dialogue on the role of the military in combating terrorism and on the lessons learned from recent terrorist attacks, and scientific and technical cooperation. NATO Allies and Russia also cooperate in areas related to terrorism such as border control, non-proliferation, airspace management, and nuclear safety.
In December 2004, NRC foreign ministers approved a comprehensive NRC Action Plan on Terrorism, aimed at improving overall coordination and strategic direction of NRC cooperation. Since December 2004, joint pre-deployment training has been underway to prepare Russian ships to support Operation Active Endeavour, NATO’s maritime counter-terrorist operation in the Mediterranean. The first ship to deploy was the frigate RFS Pitlyvi in September 2006. A second vessel, the RFS Ladniy, deployed a year later in September 2007. Additional Russian ships are expected to be rotated into the operation in 2008.
Co-operation on Afghanistan
Counter-narcotics training of Afghan and Central Asian personnel The NRC Pilot Project for Counter-Narcotics Training of Afghan and Central Asian Personnel was launched by NRC foreign ministers in December 2005 to help address the threats posed by the trafficking in Afghan narcotics. The initiative seeks to build local capacity and to promote regional networking and cooperation by sharing the combined expertise of the Allies and Russia with mid-level officers from Afghanistan and the Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan). The project is being implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Russia and Turkey have hosted training courses in their specialized centres of excellence and mobile courses in all six participating countries are also being conducted. In summer 2007, the NRC welcomed Finland’s willingness to contribute to the initiative. Close to 450 officers from the six beneficiary countries have already been trained under this NRC Project.
Land Transit in Support of ISAF
In March 2008, the basis has been established for facilitating transit though the Russian territory of non military freight from NATO, NATO members and non-NATO ISAF contributors in support of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, in accordance with UNSCR 1386.
Military-to-military cooperation
Preparing for possible future joint military operations is also a key focus of NRC work. A programme has been set up to develop interoperability between NATO and Russian forces, in which training and exercises are an important component. Approval of “Political-Military Guidance Towards Enhanced Interoperability Between Forces of Russia and NATO Nations” by NRC Defence Ministers in June 2005 has given further impetus to these efforts. Military liaison arrangements have been enhanced at the Allied Commands for Operations, as well as in Moscow. Moreover, the ratification in May 2007 of the PfP Status of Forces Agreement, will facilitate further military-to-military and other practical cooperation.
Search and rescue at sea
Work in the area of search and rescue at sea has intensified since the signing of a framework agreement on cooperation in this area in February 2003. In June 2005, Russia took part in NATO’s largest-ever search-and-rescue exercise, Sorbet Royale. The experience and networks developed during this exercise contributed to the success of an actual rescue operation in August 2005 off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula. In 2008, Russia is planning to participate in an even more ambitious exercise, Bold Monarch.
Defence Reform and Cooperation
Initiatives launched in the area of defence reform focus on the evolution of the military, management of human and financial resources, reform of defence industries, managing the consequences of defence reform, defence aspects of combating terrorism. This includes development of a Political-Military Guidance Towards Enhanced Interoperability Between Forces of Russia and NATO Nations, endorsed by NRC Defence Ministers in June 2007, which will facilitate preparation of NATO and Russian forces for possible joint operations.
NATO-Russia Resettlement Centre
A NATO-Russia Resettlement Centre for discharged Russian military personnel was established in Moscow in July 2002 and augmented by six regional sub-offices in March 2003. Over 2000 former military personnel from Russian Armed Forces have been retrained. About 85% of them succeeded in finding civilian employment, as a result of the training or the help the Centre’s job placement unit.
Defence Industrial Co-operation
A broad-based “Study on NATO-Russia Defence Industrial and Research and Technological Cooperation”, commissioned in January 2005, is expected to have a positive impact on future cooperation in these areas. Reports from the two-phased study were published in June 2007 and recommendations and ideas for follow-up work are being discussed in the NRC framework.
Crisis management
NATO and Russia have a long history of cooperation in crisis management. In fact, between 1996 and 2003, Russia was the largest non-NATO troop contributor to NATO-led peacekeeping operations. Since 2002, the NRC has taken steps to enhance cooperation further in this area, notably through the approval in September 2002 of “Political Aspects for a Generic Concept for Joint NATO-Russia Peacekeeping Operations”. These were tested in a procedural exercise, conducted in three phases between May 2003 and September 2004.
Theatre missile defence
In the area of theatre missile defence, which aims at the protection of troops in joint areas of operation, a study was launched in 2003 to assess the possible levels of interoperability among the theatre missile defence systems of NATO Allies and Russia. Three command post exercises have been held – the first in the United States, in March 2004; the second in the Netherlands, in March 2005; and the third in Russia, in October 2006. A Computer Assisted Exercise (CAX) also took place in Germany in January 2008. The interoperability study, the CAX and the command post exercises are intended to provide the basis for future improvements to interoperability and to develop mechanisms and procedures for joint operations in the area of theatre missile defence.
The Cooperative Airspace Initiative
Significant progress has been made on the Cooperative Airspace Initiative (CAI), which aims to foster cooperation between NRC nations on airspace surveillance and air traffic management in order to enhance transparency, predictability and collective capabilities to fight against terrorist air threats. The technical operational capability has been in place since the end of 2007 and full operational capability is planned for the end of 2008. In parallel, work is progressing well on developing a concept of operations, an exercise and training concept, coordination procedures and legal arrangements. The CAI capability is initially being implemented between Norway, Poland, Turkey and Russia.
Non-proliferation
Dialogue on a growing range of issues related to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction has developed under the NRC. Concrete recommendations have been made to strengthen existing non-proliferation arrangements. A number of in-depth discussions and expert seminars have been held to explore opportunities for practical cooperation in the protection against nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Most recently, experts and officials from Russia and NATO member countries discussed proliferation threats and challenges at a seminar in Florence, Italy, in September 2007. The informal talks focused in particular on ballistic missile proliferation and nuclear terrorism.
Arms control
The NRC has also provided a forum for frank discussions on issues related to conventional arms control, such as the CFE Treaty, the Open Skies Treaty and confidence and security building measures.
Nuclear Weapons Issues
In the nuclear field, experts have developed a glossary of terms and definitions; organized exchanges on nuclear doctrines and strategy; and observed nuclear-weapon-accident-response field exercises in Russia (2004), the United Kingdom (2005), the United States (2006) and in France (2007).
Civil emergency planning
Substantial progress has been made in developing cooperation on civil emergency planning and response. Managing the consequences of terrorist attacks has been a key focus of activities. Two exercises held in Russia – Bogorodsk (2002) and Kaliningrad (2004) – and another in Montelibretti, Italy, (2006) have resulted in concrete recommendations for consequence management. Another table-top consequence management exercise will hosted by Norway in 2009. A Russian-Hungarian initiative for the establishment of a Rapid Deployment Capability was launched in 2003 in order to enhance NRC countries’ capability to protect civilian populations from natural and man-made disasters, as well as from terrorist acts with the use of WMD.
New threats and challenges
Promising work on confronting new threats and challenges through scientific cooperation is taking place within the framework of the Committee on Science for Peace and Security in NRC format. Key areas include environmental security, eco-terrorism, psychosocial consequences of terrorism, cyber security, protection from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents, and explosives detection.
NRC Website
NRC Website (www.nato-russia-council.info) was launched in June 2007 to increase public awareness of NRC activities. Discussions are on-going on exploring ways to facilitate other forms of dialogue among political scientists, research institutions, the academic community, and other relevant organisations.
