Nato chief faces tough ride in Moscow

Nato Secretary-General George Robertson faces the a tough task in Moscow this week of trying to calm Russia’s alarm over the alliance’s eastward expansion.

His visit, beginning late today, is timed for the reopening of Nato’s information office in Moscow, which Russia shut down in spring 1999 in protest at the air campaign against Yugoslavia.

He also has a broad agenda for talks with Russian officials, including peacekeeping efforts, Russia’s military doctrine, the alliance’s strategic concept and arms control.

By playing host to Mr Robertson, Moscow is signalling its desire to ease the tug-of-war with the alliance. But the talks still are expected to be difficult: Moscow is infuriated by Nato’s plans to continue expanding to the East.

"The fact that a few new countries may join the Nato alliance would in no way upset existing balances or threaten any good relationship that exists between Nato and Russia", Mr Robertson said before heading to Moscow.

Such arguments fall on deaf ears in Moscow, which views Nato’s decision to incorporate Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic in March 1999 as a direct threat to its security.

While Russia had no power to stop the move, it warned the alliance that granting membership to three former Soviet republics in the Baltic region Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania would be going too far.

The Baltics have lobbied hard to join the Western alliance ever since they regained independence following the Soviet collapse in 1991. While individual members such as the United States have supported their ambition, the alliance as a whole has not yet made any firm commitment.

Nato’s plans have stoked anti-western feelings among the Russian elite and the broad public, and analysts have warned that further expansion could feed authoritarian trends in Russia’s home policy and push it toward global isolation.

"The worst outcome of that would be the rise of secret services that would seek to turn Russia into a fortress besieged by the enemy," said Sergei Markov, the head of the Institute of Political Studies.

"Nato is not going to listen to Russian complaints, but it wants to show respect and avoid excessive humiliation of Moscow."