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Russia Calls on NATO to Ratify European Arms Control Pact
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov late Thursday said Russia-NATO relations had reached a stalemate. NATO has tipped the balance in the region, therefore Moscow’s intention to freeze its commitments to the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty will be of little effect, according to Mr. Lavrov. Europe has expressed concern over Moscow’s decision. Some experts believe, though, that the United States has provoked the conflict with its plans to deploy missile defense facilities in Eastern Europe.
NATO on Thursday expressed concern over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declared intention to freeze compliance with the Conventional Arms in Europe treaty.
Speaking at a NATO meeting in Oslo, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov defended the move. “I think that we cannot be unconcerned by the fact that NATO military infrastructure is creeping up to our borders,” he said. Mr. Lavrov noted that Russia had been complying with the treaty, and it was time for NATO to live up to obligations. “Unless our partners do that we will withdraw from the treaty,” he warned.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice fired back by insisting that Moscow should fulfill its commitments.
European experts believe that Moscow made the move following America’s decision to deploy its missile defense facilities in Eastern Europe. EU official have called on Russia and United States to enter new talks to ease the tensions.
President Putin said on Thursday that Russia declares “a moratorium until all NATO countries ratify the treaty and begin to strictly abide by it.” Countering Putin’s arguments NATO said its members would ratify an adapted version of the treaty when Russia had fulfilled its commitments and withdraw its remaining troops from Georgia and Moldova.
Moscow has not given the deadline for the moratorium. But high-ranking sources of Kommersant in the Kremlin reported Friday that NATO had been given one year to ratify the pact, otherwise Russia will withdraw from it altogether.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Apr. 28, 2007
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