По новостям: NATO - Russia Council

Репортаж корр. Би-би-си Джонатана Маркуса:

This is a new beginning for NATO and Russia. Previous efforts at establishing a framework for joint action foundered on the rocks of lingering suspicion and genuine differences over issues like the crisis in the Balkans. But the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11th have put Russia and the NATO governments on converging courses.

The aim now is to capitalise on this new, more positive mood. The new NATO-Russia Council will meet every month, with four ministerial level meetings each year. It has a detailed work programme covering areas like the struggle against terrorism, halting weapons' proliferation, theatre missile defence and so on.

Clearly, NATO itself will continue to discuss many of these issues on its own. The novelty of the new council is that it's intended to do practical things. An initial study will look at the terrorist threat to peace-keeping forces in the Balkans, where Russian troops serve alongside many other NATO and non-NATO countries.

By keeping the new council focused on practical matters the hope is that it can take real decisions on real issues. Its success now depends on how much political capital is invested in the new body - one veteran NATO official noting that if the new council achieves little it could actually sour ties between the Alliance and Moscow.

• framework: рамки
• foundered: потерпели неудачу
• converging: сближающиеся
• capitalise on: здесь воспользоваться
• ministerial level meetings: встречи на министерском уровне
• work programme: план работы
• theatre: здесь театр (воен.)
• peace-keeping forces: миротворческие силы
• political capital: политический капитал
• sour: подпортить