ARMENIA HOPES DISCORD AMONG CFE TREATY MEMBER COUNTRIES TO BE SETTLED

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 16 2007

YEREVAN, July 16. /ARKA/. Armenia hopes that current discord among
member countries of the Treaty of Conventional Armed Forces in Europe
(CFE Treaty) will be settled, Armenian Foreign Ministry Spokesman
Vladimir Karapetyan said in a statement issued on Monday.

"The CFE Treaty will remain in force at least 150 days, and we hope
that the discord among member countries will be settled through
further dialogue", Armenian press office quoted Karapetyan.

According to the foreign ministry spokesman, Armenia is willing for
consultations with all CFE Treaty members.

Karapetyan said that Armenia views the treaty as mechanism ensuring
transparency and security balance in Europe for 15 years.

He said CFE Treaty is successfully curbing conventional armament
buildup in OSCE region.

On July 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree
ceasing the treaty and related international agreements because of
extraordinary circumstances threatening the country’s security.

The treaty is to be ceased in 150 days after official note reception
by member countries.

The treaty was signed in Paris in 1990, one year before Soviet Union
collapse, and amended in 1999 at OSCE summit in Istanbul.

The mended treaty opened doors for any OSCE member country.

Only four countries – Russia, Balarys, Kazakhstan and Ukraine –
ratified the amended treaty.

Georgia and Moldova refuse to ratify it demanding Russian troops
pullout.

NATO members are blocking the treaty enforcement for the same reason.