NATO disappointed at Russian decision to suspend CFE treaty

Source: Xinhuanet | 04-27-2007 10:21

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (2nd L Front) addresses the NATO foreign ministers' metting in the Norwegian capital of Oslo on April 26, 2007. NATO foreign ministers gathered in Oslo to discuss the alliance's plan to build a strategic missile defense system and NATO's role in Kosovo, on April 26. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan)

OSLO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Thursday that the alliance was disappointed at a Russian decision to suspend its obligations under the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty.

In a meeting with NATO foreign ministers, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed President Vladimir Putin's statement earlier Thursday that Moscow is suspending its obligations under the CFE treaty.

"That message was met by great concern, disappointment and regret because the allies are of the opinion that the CFE treaty is one of the cornerstones of European security," de Hoop Scheffer told reporters after the NATO-Russia meeting.

He said Russia must fulfill the so-called "Istanbul obligations" -- withdrawal of Russian military bases from Moldova and Georgia in the eyes of NATO -- before the treaty can be ratified by NATO allies.

The CFE first came into force in 1992 and an adapted treaty was agreed upon in 1999. So far only Russia, together with Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, have ratified the 1999 treaty.

De Hoop Scheffer said the allies will ratify the treaty in a matter of days, rather than weeks if Russia fulfills the Istanbul obligations.

He said, however, the NATO countries still adhere to the rules of the treaty.

Russia argued that there is no legal relationship between the Istanbul obligations and the ratification of the treaty. NATO does not think so, according to de Hoop Scheffer.

The CFE issue dominated Thursday's NATO-Russia Council meeting,said a NATO official, who would not be named. As a result, there was no mention of the Kosovo issue, which was a potential point of conflict between the alliance and Moscow.

The two sides also discussed the U.S. plan to deploy missile defense facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic.

"On missile defense, we do not look eye to eye," de Hoop Scheffer said.

He said the Russians would not buy NATO's explanation that the system was not against it.

But he refused to link disputes over missile defense with the CFE issue, saying NATO would like to look at the subjects in their own right.

Lavrov told a separate press conference that the U.S. deployment of strategic components in Russia's doorstep is not justifiable. Moscow do not see any real threat facing Europe that justifies such a system, he said.

Russia wants to have a join threat assessment with NATO and then decide what to do, he said.

Editor:Du Xiaodan