Europe needs to re-establish its relationships with both the United States and Russia if NATO is to remain relevant in the future, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer argued, at the Munich Security Conference Saturday, dpa reported.
He said NATO faces a unique opportunity in 2009, as a new US administration seeks to establish its new defence policies while Russia is working to make its voice heard on certain international security issues.
That gives European leaders a chance to demand equal standing with the United States while making clear to Russia what its expectations are, said de Hoop Scheffer.
On relations with the United States, de Hoop Scheffer said it falls on European leaders to prove that they are prepared to share more of the military burden with the US.
"The United States wants a serious partner. It does not just want advice. It wants someone to help with the heavy lifting," he said.
He added that European demands for more power within NATO rings "hollow" when European governments are already ruling out extra forces for Afghanistan, just as the United States is pressing for a renewed military presence in that nation.
On Russia, de Hoop Scheffer said that it is important to listen to Russian demands, but also to make clear to Russian leaders what Europe and NATO consider acceptable.
"NATO and Russia need to go down a long road together. The new strategic concept needs to bear this in mind," he said.
Europe needs to listen to Russian calls for new talks on arms control treaties, an area in which he says Russia has a strong case. However, he said talks on any issues cannot progress too far so long as Russia continues to ignore the rights of some European nations.
Specifically, he condemned Russia's construction of military bases in breakaway provinces of Georgia, following the conflict between the two nations last August, and Russian efforts to influence which international organizations certain eastern European nations opt to join.
Although Saturday morning's discussion was broadly about NATO and Russia, no Russian officials participated in the session to respond to de Hoop Scheffer's comments.