Funeral of 40 Years’ Cold War

The European security map is changing North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which decided to accept East European countries as members of NATO. The Warsaw Treaty Organization, the military alliance of former Soviet Union and East European countries, had dissolved in 1991. On the contrary, some people think the expansion of NATO might weaken the military status of NATO. Others expect that NATO will transform itself into a pan-political institution embracing the U.S., Europe and Russia from military organizations in those days.

▽ `19+1` Structure = Cooperative decision-making organization that foreign ministers from NATO and Russia agreed to make in Reykjavik, Iceland on the 14th and 15th will discuss every issue related with security. Monthly meeting of the alliance will cover anti-terrorism, non-proliferation, missile defense, regional disputes, military cooperation, arms control, and prepare measures. NATO will be rearranged to ‘19+1’ structure, as Russia practically has the prestige of members except for a veto right.

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said, ”This alliance is not a advisory organ but an organ that carries out the decisions on an equal footing being controlled by ‘the principles of agreement.’”

Russia’s “historic agreement” to establish a council with NATO will be officially signed at NATO-Russia summit talks in Rome, Italy on the 28th.

The press from Russia analyzed, “This agreement can be the doorstep to complete joining NATO.” Officials of NATO, however, said that this agreement would not influence the roles for mutual defense.

▽ East Europe countries = Foreign ministers of NATO approved Croatia as tenth candidate for the alliance on the 14th.

During the meeting, foreign ministers will discuss the joining of East European countries including Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania as well as Croatia.

The Baltic nations of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are mostly like to join the alliance. Prime candidates to join NATO will be chosen in Prague in November.

The summit talks of six nations under the Collective Security Treaty including the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) like Russia in Moscow on the 14th dealt with the issue of strengthening the military cooperation without bearing a fruit.

Ki-Hyun Kim kimkihy@donga.com