Radio Netherlands, The conference of NATO members, currently taking place in the Lithunanian capital, Vilnius, has seen the conclusion of a military cooperation agreement between the military alliance and Russia.
The deal – hailed as a milestone by NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer – will make it easier to hold joint military exercises and for NATO troops and Russian forces to cross each other's territory. It now requires the approval of the Russian parliament.
Speaking at the conference, a senior NATO official said the alliance has no desire at the moment to get involved in the Middle East peace process. However, he added that it is not ruling out the possibility that it may do so in the future.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Boris Tarasyuk was also at the NATO meeting, where he announced that his country hopes to join NATO within the next three years. He said Ukraine could contribute to greater stability and security in the region.
