Committee: Security Council Topic : Improving the relationship between Russia and nato

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  Russia
  
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  NATO
  

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  Cold War was a state of military and political tension after the end of the World War II between the parties from the Wester Block (USA, NATO allies and others) and the parties in the Eastern Block(the Soviet Union and its' allies in the Warsaw Pact). It is called cold because of the fact that there were not any major wars between the two sides, mostly concentrating on regional wars.
  
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  Soviet Union(Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or USSR)was a union of fourteen Soviet Socialist Republics and one Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (Russia).
  
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  NATO(The North Atlantic Treaty Organization) an alliance of countries from North America and Europe committed to fulfilling the goals of the North Atlantic Treaty signed on 4^th of April 1949.
  
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  NATO-Russia Council(NRC) was established at NATO-Russia Summit in Rome on 28^th of May 2003. It was a mechanism for consultation, cooperation, joint decision and joint action. Russia and NATO were to work as equal partners on a wide spectrum of security issues of common interest.
  

Early cooperation between Russia and NATO started in 1991. Their partnership began when after the end of the Cold War Russia had joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council and later on the Partnership for Peace programme. Ever since then NATO's and Russia's relationship has been quite unstable.

In 1991 Russia joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council, created as a forum for consultation with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe following the end of the Cold War. The Soviet Union actually dissolves at the same time as the inaugural meeting of this body takes place.

1994 Russia joins the Partnership for Peace.

27 May 1997, NATO and Russia signed the Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security. Both sides stated they were not against each other and that, ″based on an enduring political commitment undertaken at the highest political level, will build together a lasting and inclusive peace in the Euro-Atlantic area on the principles of democracy and cooperative security″

The Cold War ended over 20 years ago. It was characterized by the opposition of two ideological blocs. The end of the Cold War was a victory for the people of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. At Summit meetings after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Russia played its part in building a new, inclusive European security architecture, including the Charter of Paris, the establishment of the OSCE, the creation of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, and the NATO-Russia Founding Act.

Aftter the end of The Cold War, NATO has made changes to is working practices and membership practices. NATO also reached out to Russia with partership initiatives, culminating in 2002 with the fundation of the NATO-Russia Council.

On 28 May 2002 at a summit in Rome, Russian and Allied leaders sign a declaration on "NATO-Russia Relations: A New Quality" and establish the NATO-Russia Council (NRC).

In August 2008 Russia's disproportionate military action in Georgia, formal meetings of the NRC and cooperation in some areas were suspended. The Allies continue to call on Russia to reverse its recognition of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states.

NATO followed closely the developments in Ukraine since the beginning of the crisis. This had made a serious impact on NATO's and Russia's relationship. On 2 March 2014 NATO expressed its grave concern regarding the use of Russia's forces on the territory of Ukraine. NATO-Russia Council had met on 5 March to mediate about the issue, nevertheless they did not reach an agreement. Immediate steps were takes and the entire range of NATO-Russia cooperation was taken under review. In April, all practical civilian and military cooperation between Russia and NATO were suspended by foreign ministers. Political contacts were still allowed in order to allow Russia and NATO exchange views regarding the crisis. In September 2014 at the Wales Summit NATO demanded that Russia should stop any military intervention in Ukraine, comply with the international law, refrain from any aggressive actions and withdraw its troops. It was also confirmed that NATO will not accept Russia's illegal 'annexation' of Crimea.

Improving the relationship between Russia and NATO may seem to be difficult but certainly not impossible. As years passed we can notice the tension among those two parties, both of them trying to find a solution to their problems. The NATO-Russia partnership was built for more than two decades and the recent tension caused by the situation in Ukraine makes everyone involved unsure what to expect next. Russia had breached its commitments, broken the international law and most importantly lost the trust at the core of its cooperation with NATO. It is still believed that a relationship between those two parties based on respect of the international and obeying the rules would be of great value.

Sources

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_50090.htm

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_111767.htm