Russian commentators positive about NATO-Moscow partnership

Commentators and analysts in Russia were largely positive Monday about the outcome of the NATO-Russia summit in Lisbon and the prospects of partnership between the erstwhile Cold War foes. But there were also words of caution dpa reported.

Head the Federation Council's foreign policy committee, Mikhail Margelov, said Russia's military general staff could now change its doctrine and drop NATO from its list of major threats.

"If the agreements reached at the summit are adhered to, then for the first time in history of our relations one can talk about a partnership," Margelov said.

But he cautioned that a genuine rapprochement between the US and Russia would depend on the new bilateral strategic arms reduction treaty (START) going into effect.

So far the US Senate, which under the constitution must approve foreign treaties, has not yet ratified the new START treaty, which US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed in Prague last April.

Obama is now working to try to get a vote through the Senate to ratify the treaty, in the face of resistance to it by the Republic party opponents who could prevent the Senate achieving the necessary two-thirds majority - 67 votes - for ratification.

The Kommersant newspaper in a a commentary referred to the agreements between NATO and Russia as a "historic step," but sounded a note of caution about domestic US political developments.

"It would be naive to believe that in the event of a shifting of forces in Washington, the rapprochement between Russia and NATO will be continued," the paper said, cautioning that this could usher in a new cold spell