NATO approves new strategic concept

The leaders of the 28 NATO member-states have approved the new strategic concept of the Alliance at its summit in Lisbon. The concept  states that the alliance does not pose a threat to Russia anymore, the Voice of Russia reports.

The document stresses that NATO is now striving towards strategic partnership with Moscow and cooperation on issues of mutual interest, such as anti-missile defense, fighting terrorism, drug-trafficking and piracy and strengthening international security.

Previously, US President Barack Obama said that Saturday's NATO-Russia summit will become yet another step towards the "reset" in relations between Russia and the West and the strengthening of global security, RIA Novosti reports. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev met the leaders of the 28 NATO member-states for the first time since the August 2008 war between Russia and Georgia that spoiled Moscow's relations with the alliance.

In his speech, Obama reiterated the need to ratify a new strategic arms reduction treaty with Russia. The treaty, which has been promoted by the two countries' leaderships as a symbol of the long-awaited "reset" in their relations, was signed by Obama and Medvedev in April in Prague.

The US and NATO have officially proposed that Russia participate in the creation of a missile defense shield in Europe, the US ambassador to the military alliance said. This is a move that would herald the closest cooperation between the powers since the end of the Cold War, Reuters reports.

Within the Lisbon summit the NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said that NATO's cooperation with South Caucasian states, especially cooperation with Azerbaijan, is very efficient and is being maintained at a high level, APA reports.

"Our cooperation with South Caucasian and Central Asian states is reflected in the new strategic concept that we have adopted today, and in the provision of the concept we have clearly noted our willingness to strengthen our current cooperation and develop our new program. We attach great importance to the cooperation that exists among us. Thanks to this cooperation, we are effectively struggling against drug-trafficking. Therefore, we’ll pay special attention to these relationships in future," the Secretary-General said.

Answering a question about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and NATO’s contribution in this direction, the Secretary-General said that he is not sure whether NATO can play any role in resolving this conflict.