G. Robertson: NATO Now Looks with Different Eyes at Problem of Terrorism in ChechnyaMOSCOW, November 22. /RIA Novosti correspondent/. NATO now "looks with
different eyes" at the problem of terrorism in Chechnya, said George
Robertson, Secretary-General of the North Atlantic alliance, speaking
on Thursday at Russia's Diplomatic Academy.
"We now realise that Russia's warnings about the danger of terrorism
were not motivated merely by the need to sweep away the West's
criticism of the Chechen campaign," he said.
Robertson noted that Russia's long-term goal is a peaceful and stable
Chechen republic within Russia, where citizens are under the
protection of the Russian constitution and which is not a base for
international terrorism.
At the same time, Robertson remarked that NATO allies continue to
experience concern for the destiny of the civilian population in
Chechnya. But this aim /a peaceful and stable Chechnya within Russia/
is fully shared and supported by us, the alliance's secretary-general
said.
According to him, the new spirit of relations between NATO and Russia
hardly means that from now on Moscow and the alliance will agree
between themselves on practically all issues. "We will still have
differences," Robertson believes. But, he is convinced, we should have
open discussions and try to understand each other, rather than right
away suspect one another of worst motivations.
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