NATO summit ends in Prague

Prague is gradually returning to normal after the two day NATO summit on Thursday and Friday. Traffic is again flowing normally through the city, where many streets were cordoned off, and shops, which were boarded up in anticipation of violent anti-NATO demonstrations are gradually reopening. In the end the summit passed without serious incident, and police officers, brought in from around the country are now returning home.

The NATO summit witnessed the historic decision to invite a further seven countries to join the alliance, and for the first time the expansion is to include countries which were once part of the Soviet Union. NATO leaders also decided to create a rapid response force to be used in global anti-terrorist missions, and issued a statement backing UN efforts to disarm Iraq. The statement was cautiously worded and fell short of overtly endorsing military intervention. At talks on Friday NATO and Russia said they would continue in the path of cooperation set up in Rome six months ago.