PRATICA DI MARE, Italy -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of 19 NATO states signed the Rome Declaration Tuesday giving Moscow a say in the decision making of its former Cold War enemy, AFP reported.

Putin declared the forging of a new relationship a "very important act" and said Moscow would take its full responsibility within the new NATO-Russia council, which the leaders pledged to use to confront the "common enemy" of global terrorism.

The declaration establishes a NATO-Russia joint council in which Moscow will have an equal voice in taking common decisions on such issues as terrorism, proliferation and military reform.

Earlier, U.S. President George W. Bush said the accord puts Russia "on the path to forming an alliance" with NATO, founded 53 years ago by the United States and Western European allies to face down the threat of a Soviet invasion.