RUSSIA NOT INTEND TO INCREASE ARMED CONTINGENT IN ARMENIA: DEPUTY MINISTER

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
July 26 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend K.Ramazanova / Russia does not intend
to increase armed contingent in Armenia after absolving from the
Treaty on Conventional Arms in Europe (TCAE), said the Deputy Foreign
Minister of Russia, Sergey Kislyak, on 26 July in Baku.

According to him, Russia does not intend to use these measures as
a response to the decision of the USA to establish missile defense
system in Eastern Europe.

Touching upon Russia’s absolving from TCAE, Kislyak said that Russia
does not seek confrontations. According to him, all their steps are
directed towards returning the situation into more normal and more
controlled manner. "If our colleagues are not interested, there will
be no conflicts. However, naturally the absence of the predictability
in establishing armed forces has never strengthened international
security," he said.

On 14 July the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, issued an order
terminating Russia’s participation in the Treaty and Treaty-linked
international agreements.