Researches On The Russia-NATO Relationship Of New Millennium

In May of 2002, Russia signed " Rome Declaration " with NATO, and the Russia -NATO United Council was established. From then on, the Russia –NATO relationship got brand-new development not only in the construction aspect of the mechanism but also in the aspect of practical action in the new century. NATO and Russia, one is the biggest military organization in the world at present, and the other is a big country with great influence extending across two continents in Eurasia, and every gesture of them will affect the global sensitive nerve. There are both opportunities and challenges in the development of Russia-NATO relationship of the new century. The opportunities are as follows: first, Putin Government's " Pragmatic Diplomacy " has offered a solid political foundation for the development of Russia-NATO relationship in the new century; second, the overwhelming of the global terrorism and no-traditional security has provided a favorable international environment for the friendly talk and cooperation between Russia and NATO; third, the advance of Russia-US, Russia-Europe relations has offered the facility for the development of Russia-NATO relation; and NATO's changes in the new century has made the development of Russia-NATO relationship possible. At the same time, there are also some challenges in the development of Russia-NATO relationship. The strategic interests differences between NATO and Russia have been the insurmountable obstacles of their relationship. The legacy of the Cold War Mentality, restoring the Big Nation status of Russia and the hegemony thoughts of U.S.A. are all curbing the development of Russia-NATO relationship in the new century seriously. In short, in foreseeable future, Russia-NATO relationship will still pursue the present growth momentum, without changing radically, and the peace and cooperation will dominate the trend. However, there will still be a long way to make substantive progress. We should elicit several enlightenments through analyzing the current situation of the development of Russia-NATO relationship. Thus,we can offer a correct basis for the formulation of our country's foreign policy. We should treat the development of Russia-NATO relationship dialectically, and we should put dealing with the relation with NATO onto our diplomatic agenda as soon as possible. And we should always make our foreign decisions centering on our present interests.