#6278
[Second Issue of the Day]
#15
Nezavisimaya Gazeta
May 29, 2002
NATO IS HELPING RUSSIA CHANGE ITS POLITICAL ELITE
Cooperation with NATO: tracing the implications for Russian politics
Author: Marina Kalashnikova
[from WPS Monitoring Agency, www.wps.ru/e_index.html]
WHAT PRIMARILY MATTERS IS WHETHER THE NATO ELITE WILL ACCEPT THEIR RUSSIAN COLLEAGUES AS EQUALS OR TREAT THEM AS STRANGERS. THE SITUATION GROWS WORSE BECAUSE ON THE EVE OF THE SUMMIT UKRAINE DECIDED TO BYPASS RUSSIA IN MAKING CONTACTS WITH NATO.
Russian diplomats have quite a formal approach to cautioning NATO against formal "mechanical expansion". They declare the Twenty to be a new structure and try to concentrate on functional difference between the new and the old councils. But what primarily matters is whether the NATO elite will accept their Russian colleagues as equals or treat them as strangers. The situation grows worse because on the eve of the summit Ukraine decided to bypass Russia in making contacts with NATO. Kiev could be a step higher than Moscow in the existing priority list of NATO.
In competing for NATO's favor Russia and Ukraine are equal for the time being. Kiev, having got a number of encouraging gestures from the United States, announced its wish to enter the alliance last week. Moscow succeeded in relations with NATO in direct inter-bureaucratic cooperation and symbols.
At present, it has not been defined yet which forms the participation of the Russian Federation in the Twenty will take. There ahs been talk in Brussels that Moscow was aspiring to participation in all the fields of NATO activity - in the form of seminars, forums and suchlike. No doubt that right after the summit in Rome Russia will start debates with NATO members on problems of terrorism and non- proliferation of arms. Experts admit that we could share opinions without meeting directly, or using the contact system we already have. But others believe that only such active participation can show results of Moscow's turn to the west.
The Kremlin likes entering new international structures. This shows results of its political activity, attracts attention of the population and allows to promise to change for the better when getting a new member pass. This means, a certain time-out for getting moving. This was after admission in the Paris club, the IMF, the Council of Europe, the G-7 and other "clubs." Russian colonies are successfully developing now in all these structures.
Meanwhile, the sharp rise of Kiev's activity puts a number of problems before Ukraine and Russia. Integration into NATO is connected with adjusting data exchange - the information, for which Russian secret services get awards. That is why all the post-Soviet countries, which have entered or are entering NATO, have experienced a severe staff reshuffle. This led to getting rid of people of former regimes.
Close contacts with NATO demands adapting national military- industrial complex, principles of military building, as well as information policies. According to NATO Secretary General George Robertson, NATO is not going to turn into a political organization for solving peace-making questions and the so-called non-military risks. On the contrary, the alliance is going to strengthen its military character with all the ensuing consequences for the members.
We do not rule out that Ukraine will start changing itself in accord with the Brussels standards, destroying the Soviet heritage. Of course, staff reshuffle will be the most painful things. Central European countries have worked out a method, which includes setting up special commissions for finding out all the details of specific people. Very unpleasant details about people's lives can be discovered in such a way, and sometimes legal action has been taken against people after such investigations.
Ukraine can get around Russia in this sphere, since there are more people in their state authorities and political elite, who opposed to the Soviet regime. It will be hard for Russians to work with them, because we treat Soviet past of each person quite liberally. Sometimes it will be even impossible to work with Ukraine. The gap between the two national elites will start growing.
If the activity of the Twenty leads into Russia's practical admission in NATO, then a lot of our top-ranking officials will have problems. A large part of our elite will have to be replaced. Of course, the people will not be enthusiastic about this prospect; which carries the risk of disturbances in Russian politics.
(Translated by Daria Brunova)
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