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On May 27, 1997, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Russia signed the Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation, and Security Treaty. The treaty established a forum for communications through a high-level NATO-Russia council. In addition, Russia agreed not to oppose NATO’s expansion to former Soviet-bloc countries in exchange for assurances that NATO would neither deploy nor store nuclear weapons in those countries. At the signing ceremony, however, Russian President Boris Yeltsin expressed reservations about NATO’s expansion. The following translated excerpt of Yeltsin’s speech appeared in the 1998 Collier’s Year Book.
Europe is in a time of deep transitions. What is being created is a foundation for a new type of relations among states. We are determining the face of the future European environment, and the decisions being taken at this time will determine which way and how our continent will enter the 21st century.…
What we're going to do today was preceded by very difficult negotiations, maybe the most difficult negotiations throughout the whole period following the end of the cold war. I'll be absolutely frank and candid with you and tell you that for the Russian leadership the decision to prepare a document with NATO was far from easy. We had to make sure we protected the security of our country; but at the same time we also had to, of course, create the basis, the foundation for a constructive cooperation between Russia and NATO.
Russia still views negatively the expansion plans of NATO. At the same time, however, we recognize, we pay tribute to the readiness exhibited by NATO countries, despite those difficulties, to reach an agreement with Russia and take into account our interests. And that is precisely the rationale of the situation we're experiencing now, the difficulty of negotiations between Russia and NATO and also the essence, the thrust, of the Founding Act itself.
Through joint efforts in that document we try to answer very difficult questions. And those very difficult issues deal, first of all, with nondeployment of nuclear weapons and also making sure that such a deployment is not something that we will be preparing for.… There is an obligation to nondeploy on a permanent basis combat forces of NATO near Russia. All of this means that we have agreed not to harm the security interests of each other. And I think it is the most important accomplishment for us all.
What is also very important is that we are creating the mechanisms for consultations and cooperation between Russia and the alliance. And this will enable us to—on a fair, egalitarian basis—discuss, and when need be, pass joint decisions on major issues relating to security and stability, those issues and those areas which touch upon our interests.
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