On 27 May 1997, NATO and Russia signed a non-binding treaty that for years formed the foundation for cooperation between the two sides, separated between 1949 and 1989 by the Cold War's Iron Curtain. But today, not much is left of this early attempt to heal divisions between the former arch-enemies.
"NATO and its member states, on the one hand, and the Russian Federation, on the other hand ... will build together a lasting and inclusive peace in the Euro-Atlantic area on the principles of democracy and cooperative security," the text of the NATO-Russia Founding Act on Mutual Relations reads.
