EU optimistic it can renew ties with Russia, forge closer cooperation

September 30th, 2009 Russia ready for restoration of ties with NATOMOSCOW — Russia is ready to fully restore cooperation with NATO which was suspended in the aftermath of the Russia-Georgia war, the Kremlin said Wednesday. A planned trip to Moscow by NATO's secretary-general should demonstrate that the alliance is also ready for developing ties, said Nataliya Timakova, a spokeswoman for President Dmitry Medvedev.

September 29th, 2009 BEIJING - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit China Oct 12-14 to meet Chinese leaders and attend a Central Asian security summit, China's foreign ministry said Tuesday. Putin's visit was timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Russia, and with a council of heads of government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu told reporters.

September 18th, 2009 BRUSSELS - NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen Friday called for a new beginning in NATO-Russia relations and conducting a joint review of new security challenges. "A time-out may have been useful to rethink our relationship.

August 16th, 2009 Chavez: Venezuela to strengthen ties with alliesCARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez says Venezuela's ties with nations like Russia and China have gained importance as the U.S. moves to expand its military presence in Latin America.

August 11th, 2009 NATO chief calls for closer ties with RussiaBRUSSELS — NATO's new Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen called Tuesday for a closer strategic partnership with Russia to tackle common security challenges. During a meeting with Russia's envoy to the alliance, Fogh Rasmussen said the NATO-Russia Council — a panel formed in 2004 to improve ties between the Cold War rivals — should become a forum for cooperation on strategic issues, deputy spokeswoman Carmen Romero said.

August 11th, 2009 NATO chief calls for closer ties with RussiaBRUSSELS — NATO's new Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen called Tuesday for a closer strategic partnership with Russia to tackle common security challenges. During a meeting with Russia's envoy to the alliance, Fogh Rasmussen said the NATO-Russia Council — a panel formed in 2004 to improve ties between the Cold War rivals — should become a forum for cooperation on strategic issues, deputy spokeswoman Carmen Romero said.

July 22nd, 2009 NATO, Russia consider ways to boost cooperationBRUSSELS — Diplomats from NATO and Russia met on Wednesday to discuss ways of cooperating in the battle against pirates off Somalia and supplying alliance forces fighting in Afghanistan. Russian ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said Russia wanted to set up an international criminal court to try captured Somali pirates, rather than prosecuting them in local courts in countries such as Kenya.

July 17th, 2009 Poland's leaders back appeal to Obama over RussiaWARSAW, Poland — Poland's prime minister and president say they back an appeal by former Eastern European leaders to President Barack Obama urging him not to overlook them as he pursues better ties with Russia. Thursday's appeal came in a letter signed by a group of 22 prominent leaders including former presidents Lech Walesa of Poland and Vaclav Havel of the Czech Republic.

July 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India and Russia will reach a final agreement on the cost of overhauling the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier by the end of this month, the Russia envoy here said Wednesday. Both sides are coming to terms on the price and the date for commissioning for the Indian Navy.

July 6th, 2009 US, Russia agree to resume military cooperationMOSCOW — The United States and Russia say they are resuming military cooperation suspended after Russia invaded its smaller neighbor Georgia last year. The expected announcement came Monday, as President Barack Obama and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev (dih-MEE'-tree med-VYEH'-dyev) met for their first summit in Moscow.

June 27th, 2009 CORFU - NATO and Russia agreed to relaunch formal cooperation on security threats Saturday, following their first top-level talks since the Georgia war soured relations last year. Gathering on the Greek island of Corfu, foreign ministers from the 28 NATO states and Russia agreed to relaunch formal cooperation on security issues ranging from counter-terrorism to piracy.

June 27th, 2009 NATO and Russia expected to resume military tiesCORFU, Greece — NATO and Russia are set to resume military ties Saturday and agree to cooperate on Afghanistan, counterterrorism and anti-piracy patrols at their first high-level meeting since last year's war between Russia and Georgia, Western officials said. Relations between the alliance and the Russian military were frozen in the aftermath of the five-day war last August.

June 26th, 2009 Top US officer hopes for better ties with RussiaMOSCOW — The top U.S. military officer said after meeting with Russian leaders Friday and that both countries were willing to improve military ties.

June 11th, 2009 Kremlin wants closer US-Russian anti-terror tiesMOSCOW — A top Kremlin official said Thursday that Russia is ready to expand cooperation with the United States in combating international terrorism. Anatoly Safonov, the Kremlin's top envoy on the issue, said President Barack Obama's visit to Russia in early July should help boost joint U.S.-Russian efforts to combat terrorism and prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

January 23rd, 2009 MOSCOW - Russia will cooperate with US President Barack Obama on Afghanistan and allow US and NATO forces safe passage through its southern territory to support operations against terrorism, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday. 'We are ready for full-fledged cooperation with all countries on the issue of assuring security in Afghanistan, including the United States,' Medvedev said on an official visit to Uzbekistan, a central Asian nation which shares a border with Afghanistan.