Russia’s parliament, the State Duma, passed Wednesday the bill that suspends Russia’s participation in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE).
Photo: Dmitry Azarov
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State Duma Passed Moratorium on CFE Treaty
Russia’s parliament, the State Duma, passed Wednesday the bill that suspends Russia’s participation in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE Treaty).
The moratorium on Russia’s participation in the CFE Treaty takes effect at night from December 12 to 13. The decision on reviving Russia's membership in the Treaty will be taken by president.
The explanatory note to the bill specifies that suspension of Russia’s participation in the CFE Treaty doesn’t mean the final withdrawal but indicates seriousness of intention to stand for the defense capacity of the country.
The CFE Treaty that limited the number of tanks, armored vehicles, large-bore artillery, combat aircraft and attack helicopters was signed in Paris in 1990, a year before the USSR collapse. The new environment called for adjustment, so that the weapons would be counted not by some military blocs but for each country separately. So, the Adapted CFE Treaty was inked in Istanbul in 1999 during the OSCE summit.
But only four states – Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine – have ratified it so far. Georgia and Moldova denied to do it, conditioning the ratification to withdrawal of Russia’s troops from their soil. The NATO states have also blocked the Treaty.
So, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin sealed July 13 the decree on suspending the observance of the Treaty’s obligations. The suspension applies to the original CFE Treaty and to the follow-up agreements. Russia’s moratorium will be in force until the NATO states ratify the Adapted CFE Treaty.
www.kommersant.com
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