Sergey Lavrov (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Russia)

NATO, Russia Sign Partnership for Peace Status of Forces Pact (a State Dept./IIP webpage) Meeting of the NATO-Russia Council at the level of Foreign Ministers held in Brussels on Thursday, 8 December 2005

08 December 2005

(Council meets in Brussels during NATO ministerial)

Washington -- The NATO-Russia Council met in Brussels, Belgium, December 8, the same day the alliance’s 26 foreign ministers gathered for their traditional December meeting.

In a statement outlining the discussions, the council said it had reviewed progress in implementing the NATO-Russia Action Plan on Terrorism and it welcomed the preparation of Russian naval assets for their role in Operation Active Endeavor in the Mediterranean Sea, an anti-terrorism effort to ensure safe passage of noncombatant vessels through the Strait of Gibraltar.

The council also welcomed Russia's 2005 signature of the Partnership for Peace Status of Forces Agreement, “which will provide a legal foundation for increased practical and operational cooperation, and looked forward to its prompt ratification.” (See related article.)

The council reaffirmed its support for international efforts to promote security and stability in and around Afghanistan.  It also welcomed recent progress toward fulfilling the commitments of the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty “and urged expedited efforts to fulfill remaining commitments,” according to the statement.

The NATO-Russia Council’s joint statement is available on the NATO Web site.