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<TITLE>Mr. François Heisbourg...Russia and NATO</TITLE>
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<CENTER><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+4">Russia and NATO</FONT></FONT></CENTER>
<CENTER><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+3">François Heisbourg</FONT></FONT></CENTER>
<CENTER><I><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+2">Vice President of Matra
Defense Espace</FONT></FONT></I></CENTER>
<P><FONT SIZE="+1"> </FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">In the relationship between
Russia and NATO, there are several issues that I consider vital and, I
suspect, others do too. First, there is the interest or importance that
Russia attaches to a specific NATO-Russia treaty, along the lines recently
suggested by Prime Minister Alain Juppé and subsequently picked up
by the other European Union members. If such a treaty is considered to be
worthwhile, what kind of consultations should it call for? If it is to
provide a special mechanism for consultations, would it be geographically
focused on areas of common concern (i.e., the Balkans, the Caucasus), or
should it be issue-related (i.e., covering matters of common interest such
as the danger of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction), or all of
the above?</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Another issue is whether
Russia's opposition to the enlargement of NATO has limits. In other words,
if the EU enlarges--and it has enlarged recently and will continue to
enlarge--will the Visegrad countries and others join the EU? The
Maastricht Treaty does contain provisions giving the new members of the EU
the option of putting forward their candidacy to the Western European
Union. This option is not unconditional, but it exists. Now, of course, if
one joins the WEU as a full-fledged member, one enters into a club all of
whose current members are members of NATO for a rather simple reason;
Article V of the WEU Treaty mirrors and indeed strengthens in its language
Article V of the Washington Treaty, and, until now, congruence between the
two has been deemed to be absolutely essential. So, if there were
enlargement of the EU in Central Europe, there would be every chance that
the new members would want to join the WEU and would also want to join
NATO. What would be Russia's reaction to that? In that case, enlargement
would be occurring not as a reaction toward Russia, but rather as an
organic process flowing from the development of the EU.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">A third question relates to
Russia's membership in NATO. This idea has been put forward, of course, by
prominent Russians and indeed in previous decades by a number of
Soviets--such as Andrei Gromyko back in the 1950s. That brings us to the
core issue: if Russia joins NATO, NATO ipso facto ceases to be a defense
organization.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Next, what is the consequence of
Russia's actions in Chechnya on Central and Eastern European attitudes
vis-a-vis the enlargement of NATO? The enlargement of NATO has become an
evermore prominent issue over the last few months, and, rightly or
wrongly, I suspect that much of that is due to the display of Russian
military force being used to operate against a part of the Russian
Federation.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Finally, has Russia ceased to
see itself as an empire? That question may bring no direct answer if only
because of the diversity of the political forces in Russia. But the
question is one which, of course, many people ask themselves though they
may not always ask it out loud as I can, since I am not a diplomat.</FONT></FONT>
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