Liberal Democratic Party Leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky (below) says the treaty “opens our borders for a free pass of NATO’s troops in any direction with any goals.
Photo: Dmitry Dukhanin
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Duma Allows NATO Soldiers to Russia
The Russian Duma on Wednesday ratified a treaty on joint military exercises with NATO that defines the status of foreign troops during training. Parliament majority has overlooked objections from opposition leaders who argued that the document would open Russia’s borders “for any NATO troops with any goals.”
Lawmakers have ratified an agreement which was signed in 1995 among members of the Partnership for Peace Program. Russia signed the document in 2005 but President Vladimir Putin did not submit it to the Duma until this March.
Russia’s failure to ratify the treaty has led to the cancellations of drills, including a pull-out of exercises with the United States in Nizhny Novgorod last fall.
The treaty streamlines procedures for countries to send troops and weapons to states hosting the exercises and legally defines their status during training. Under the agreement, foreign troops would fall under the jurisdiction of the host country except for a direct attack against its personnel or property.
Konstanin Kosachev, chairman of the Duma’s International Affairs Committee, underscored that cooperation with NATO was necessary, but added that ratification of the agreement “does not imply any extra obligations for Russia.”
Opposition leaders, however, did not find this argument convincing enough. Vladimir Zhirinovsky, head of the Liberal Democratic Party, said the treaty “opens our borders for a free pass of NATO’s troops in any direction with any goals.”
Boris Plokhotnyuk finished the discussion, saying the agreement is “in fact a treaty between two neighbors, even if they are not the best of friends.”
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of May 24, 2007
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