NATO & Russia resume dialogue

NATO and Russia have chosen a nice place, Corfu, for their first Council meeting in nearly a year.

The relationship needs warming up after the Georgian war last summer plunged relations into the freezer. Now however there is a new administration in the White House, conciliatory noises from President Medvedev and reported progress on a replacement START arms reduction treaty. 56 foreign ministers of the OSCE are also on on the Greek island along with Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi in an east-west mediation role to discuss Georgia and other issues. The Russians say this weekend’s high-level meetings could lead to a “new security architecture” for Europe, and they are presenting their ideas. Signals are mixed. While a missile-reduction deal seems within reach, Russia says it does not want the OSCE observers in Georgia to stay beyond their end-of-month deadline. Obama and Medvedev are all smiles in public, but behind the scenes their diplomats are engaged in some tough talking.

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