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--> --> NATO praises pact with Russia By Paul Ames Associated Press Writer REYKJAVIK, Iceland - NATO and Russia worked out a broad outline for a landmark agreement today to fight terrorism and other dangers together as part of the Western alliance's transformation to tackle post-Sept. 11 security threats. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw called the agreement "the funeral of the Cold War." "It marks a profound, historical change," he told reporters. "With this, Russia comes out of the cold as a partner, ally and friend of NATO." After five-months of negotiations, diplomats worked out the final details of the text late Monday as NATO foreign ministers were arriving in the Iceland's capital for two days of talks. The foreign ministers welcomed the agreement as "a historic step towards the alliance's long-standing goal of building a secure, cooperative and democratic Euro-Atlantic area." Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov was scheduled to meet his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and other NATO ministers later today to seal the agreement. It will set up a new council where Russia will sit alongside the 19 NATO nations to formulate joint policy on terrorism and other shared threats, including biological and chemical weapons and civil defense planning. "This initiative is quite simply historic, and even revolutionary," said NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson as he opened the NATO meeting. The NATO meeting reviewed the alliance's plans to invite new members from eastern Europe later this year. The ministers added Croatia to the list of nine candidates, but did not indicate which were favored for membership. The ministers added Croatia to the list of nine candidates, but did not indicate which were favored for membership. The foreign ministers also agreed to develop new capabilities to modernize and refocus the alliance to confront the threat from terrorism and close the gap between U.S. military might and Europe's outdated armed forces, a key Washington demand. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing