#7
Izvestiya Sees '20' Format as Russia's 'Reward' for Not Opposing NATO Expansion
Izvestiya
17 April 2002
Report by Svetlana Babayeva: "Expecting New Roman Law"

The Russia-NATO summit at which documents on the creation of the "20" will be signed is to be held in Rome 28 May. The heads of all 19 members of the NATO bloc, including American leader George Bush, for whom Rome will be the last stop on his European tour, will meet in the Italian capital and put their signatures to the new document. This was announced yesterday [16 April] by sources within Russian political circles.

The scenario for the "May event" will be approximately as follows -- George Bush will fly in to Russia 23 May (it will be the second stop on the European tour that he will begin the day before in Berlin). He will stay in Moscow and St Petersburg until the 26th, after which he will fly to Paris, and the next day to Rome. On 28 May in the Italian capital the 19 presidents and premiers of the NATO countries and Vladimir Putin will put their signatures to a document creating a new format for relations with Russia. Rome will be the last stop on Bush's European tour, and Russian politicians believe that the "20" that will be created will be a fine note for the tour to end on.

The documents on the "20," sources within Russian political circles report, are almost ready. Admittedly, officials are adding, there is still no consensus as yet within NATO itself as regards the new "member."

"This decision has been pushed by the 'big boys,'" a ranking Russian politician reported, referring to Britain, Italy, and Germany. In other words, it will still be necessary to persuade the less powerful but no less equal alliance members as well as the future members that will join in November not to be afraid of Russia. But this is something that the alliance itself will be undertaking -- it is clear from what has been said by ranking Russian officials that the "20" will be the reward for Russia's no longer opposing the "hostile bloc approaching its very borders."

The "Rome Treaty" will be preceded by another two important documents which Putin and Bush intend to sign in Moscow -- the Declaration on Strategic Stability and the Agreement on the Reduction of Strategic Offensive Arms. Russia has succeeded in persuading the United States to accept a legally binding document. But in return, Izvestiya has been told, it was necessary to accept almost all of the Americans' terms -- particularly as regards cuts in so-called warhead delivery vehicles.

On the other hand, Russia has also won one important point -- there will be no restrictions on MIRVed warheads. This provides a certain amount of compensation for Russia, since its MIRVed ICBM's have always been seen as the main threat to America. One problem is that the sides have still not reached agreement on the mechanism for verifying strategic offensive arms reduction, and are unlikely to do so in time for the summit. The scenario will probably be as follows -- the two presidents will sign an agreement, and verification mechanisms will be established later, probably by the end of this year.

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