VOA标准英语2009年-NATO Chief Proposes Closer Ties With Russi

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
18 September 2009

 
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaks during a speech at the Concert Noble in Brussels, Belgium, 18 Sep 2009
In another sign of closer ties between western nations and Russia, NATO's new secretary-general called on the alliance to forge closer defense¹ ties with Moscow, possibly including the linking missile defense systems of both sides.

In his first major address since taking office in August, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen called for a new beginning in ties between the Atlantic alliance and Russia.

"I believe that of all NATO's relationships with partner countries none holds greater potential than the NATO-Russia relationship," he said.

"Yet I also believe that none is so burdened by misperceptions, mistrust and diverting political agendas. We spend too much energy on what divides us. We should instead focus on what unites us," he added.

In particular, Rasmussen called on NATO members and Russia to explore linking US, NATO and Russian defense systems, saying both NATO and Russia had a wealth of experience in this field. He said both are threatened by threat of countries like North Korea or Iran possessing long-range missile technology and changes it could lead to regional proliferation.

Rasmussen's speech in Brussels offered another overture² to Russia, a day after President Barack Obama announced he would scrap³ plans to build a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic. Those plans, which had been launched during the previous Bush administration, were a major stumbling block in relations between Moscow and Washington.

Rasmussen did not refer to another area of disagreement between Moscow and NATO members - the future NATO membership of former Soviet⁵ bloc⁴ countries Georgia and Ukraine. He said NATO wanted Russia to be a real stakeholder in European and international security.

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 overture   

n.前奏曲、序曲，提议，提案，初步交涉

参考例句：

• The opera was preceded by a short overture.这部歌剧开始前有一段简短的序曲。
• His overture led to nothing.他的提议没有得到什么结果。

3 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

4 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

5 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。