THE DARK clouds of the Cold War, which have hung over East-West relations for more than half a century, were finally blown away by the accord at the Paris summit yesterday which cemented a new security pact between Russia and Nato.

And, typical of President Boris Yeltsin's power to surprise, he astonished western leaders with an unscripted promises to remove the warheads from all Russian nuclear weapons pointing at their countries.

This was a touch of showbiz. For such a deal had already been agreed some time before between Britain, Russia and America.

But it ought not to detract from the historic significance of the occasion - that of the menace of nuclear war between East and West being lifted after two generations. The economic and political collapse of communism in the old Soviet bloc since the late 1980s has, of course, been catalyst for this momentous departure.

But it is only a significant chapter in the volatile history of East-West relations, not the end of the story.

Democracy in Russia and accord with the west are still new and fragile.

The expansion of Nato is viewed by many in Russia not as signs of accord, but potential western aggression.

Russian fears must be dispelled and its stability and democracy sustained by western economic aid, she must be given equal-partner status in all the world forums and, ultimately, even admitted to Nato, lest the Cold War clouds come scudding back.

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