MOSCOW SAYS NATO TIES OK, DESPITE EXPULSIONS
DAVID NOWAK

Associated Press Writer
Wednesday May 6 2009

MOSCOW- Russia and NATO sought to limit damage to their relationship
Wednesday, after expelling each other’s envoys and despite Moscow’s
criticism of military exercises in former Soviet Georgia.

Russia had said NATO’s war games amounted to Western meddling in its
sphere of influence, and called NATO’s expulsion of Russian diplomats
from alliance headquarters last week a provocation. On Wednesday,
Russia kicked out two Canadians who were working for NATO in Moscow.

"We naturally were forced to react," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov said in televised comments, adding that Russia was just playing
by the "rules of the game."

But he took pains to emphasize that Moscow wanted normal relations
with the Western alliance, despite objections over NATO expansion
into former Soviet republics.

"We want a normal partnership with the North Atlantic alliance,
based on mutual respect and mutual benefit," Lavrov said.

Russia’s relations with NATO have been fraught with tension for years
over the alliance’s eastward expansion. Tiny Georgia and its aim of
joining NATO have become a major irritation.

On April 29, NATO and Russia resumed formal contacts suspended
over Russia’s five-day war with Georgia in August. Russia and NATO
âÂ~@Â" which have cooperated in recent months on=2 0matters including
shipments to Afghanistan âÂ~@Â" planned a meeting of foreign ministers
later this month.

A day later, however, NATO revoked the accreditation of two Russian
envoys to alliance headquarters in Brussels. NATO did not give details,
but Russia suggested the move was tied to a February espionage scandal
in which Moscow was accused of accepting NATO secrets from a spy.

Russia responded Wednesday by expelling Isabelle Francois, the head
of NATO’s Information Office in Moscow, and her deputy. The two were
the office’s only foreign staff, the alliance said.

NATO called the move "counterproductive to our efforts to restore
our dialogue and cooperation with Russia," but it said its decision
to re-engage with Russia "stands."

Canada, however, demanded an explanation from the Russian
ambassador. "We’re greatly concerned, given that fact that there is
this reengagement that is taking place," Canadian Foreign Minister
Lawrence Cannon said.

Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper justified NATO’s expelling the
Russians, saying NATO would take whatever action necessary "when it
comes to spying."

"It’s true at NATO we talked of reconciliation, but … we are
concerned about Russian behavior on a number of fronts," Harper said
during a visit to Prague. "I don’t want to say this is a Cold War,
but it’s not an ideal situation."

But analysts suggested the retaliatory expulsions amounted to diplomacy
as20usual for Moscow, and said they would likely have little lasting
impact on Russia’s relations with the West. During the Cold War,
expulsions of Soviet and NATO alliance diplomats were routine.

"We have seen several expulsions in the past," said Alexander
Konovalov, head of Moscow’s Institute for Strategic Assessment. "It’s
normal practice, more or less."

Russia’s NATO envoy Dmitry Rogozin said the two sides should put
the dispute behind them and "consider this issue closed," according
to Interfax.

Russia has also loudly complained about NATO military exercises that
began Wednesday in Georgia, though NATO has encouraged Russia to join
the war games and says they pose no threat.

Russia has said it is inappropriate to hold the monthlong military
exercises in a country that recently fought and lost a war.

Exacerbating tensions, hundreds of Georgian troops staged a daylong
mutiny Tuesday at a tank battalion headquarters near Tbilisi. The
rebellion ended with the soldiers surrendering without incident. Russia
angrily denied Georgia’s initial claims that Moscow orchestrated the
mutiny in hopes of overthrowing the government.

Georgia quickly backtracked and said the mutiny was aimed at disrupting
the NATO exercises. Some Georgian opposition members called the mutiny
a charade cooked up by Saakashvili to rally support after weeks of
opposition protests.

"We are an established state and showed it yesterday, and we won’t let
0Aanyone act this way," Saakashvili said Wednesday in an address to
military officers. He said a former Georgian envoy to NATO was charged
Tuesday with spying for Russia and allegedly passed information about
Georgian military movements to Russia during the war.

Russia has dismissed the idea of taking part in the NATO exercises
in Georgia. Participants were holding meetings until at least May
11, after which battlefield maneuvers would begin, Georgian Defense
Ministry spokesman David Dzhokhadze said. Some 15 countries were
taking part, after Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Serbia and
Armenia bowed out.