PUTIN OFFERED TO DECLARE MORATORIUM ON CONVENTIONAL FORCES IN EUROPE TREATY

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.04.2007 15:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian President Vladimir Putin thinks it is
expedient to declare moratorium on Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty
(CFE). In his annual address to the parliament the Russian President
stressed Russia’s partners on the agreement – NATO member-states –
have not ratified the treaty and a number of states even did not join
it. Furthermore Putin said Russia may fully refuse from commitments
of CFE.

Putin said, the moratorium will continue until all NATO countries have
ratified and started to strictly implement it "as in fact Russia does
today unilaterally". The Russian President offered to discuss this
problem at the Russia-NATO meeting, and if there was no progress at
upcoming talks Russia would "look at the possibility of ceasing our
commitments under the CFE treaty".

Putin noted that in fact currently Russia is the only country,
which keeps the so-called "flanking limits". At the same time NATO
member-countries not only do not keep these limits, but also are going
to station American interceptor missiles and air defense systems in
their territories. In Russian President’s opinion in these conditions
limits for quantitative structure of troops and heavy equipment in
Europe that Russia keeps is not just, Lenta.ru reports.