Xinhua, China
July 7 2004

Russian parliament ratifies Euro weapons limitation treaty

MOSCOW, July 7 (Xinhuanet) — Russia’s parliament on Wednesday
completed ratification of the amended Treaty on Conventional Forces
in Europe (CFE) which limits the deployment of heavy weapons across
the European continent, the Interfax news agency reported.

The Federation Council, parliament’s upper house, approved it
Wednesday by a vote of 137-1 following ratification by the State
Duma, the lower house of parliament, on June 25 and the treaty now
goes to President Vladimir Putin for signing.

The modified accord could significantly reduce the deployment of
warplanes, tanks and other heavy non-nuclear weapons in Europe. It
will take effect when all 30 signatory countries ratify it.

Under the treaty, Russia can have 6,350 tanks, 11,280 armored
personnel carriers, 6,315 artillery, 3,416 combat aircraft and 885
helicopter gunships.

Russia can also keep its weapons and military hardware in Armenia
and Ukraine under the treaty.

The original CFE treaty was approved in 1990 by the 22 members of
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Warsaw Pact alliances.

An amended version of the treaty was signed in 1999 following the
collapse of former Soviet Union.

Russia has been particularly concerned about the reluctance of the
four new NATO members — Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia —
to ratify the amended version of the treaty.

Some Russian officials fear that if the four do not join the
treaty they could become NATO outposts for nuclear arms or army
bases.

However, NATO argues that until Russian forces and weapons are
pulled back from Georgia and Moldova, they cannot ratify the treaty.
Moscow says its pledge to withdraw forces from the two countries is a
separate issue from the treaty. Enditem