Russia Ready for Talks on New Europe Arms Treaty
Russia has voiced its readiness for negotiations on a new deal to control conventional arms in Europe after Moscow announced an end to its activities under the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE).
In a Wednesday interview with the Interfax news agency, Mikhail Ulyanov, who heads the Russian Foreign Ministry’s arms control department, said Moscow does not seek to act as the “grave digger” of control over arms in Europe, describing such a regime as “useful.”
Russia is prepared “to consider the possibility and conduct relevant talks about a new agreement which would meet new realities, would not be too costly, would be well thought-out, measured and which would take Russia’s interests into account, naturally,” added Ulyanov.
On Tuesday, Anton Mazur, the head of the Russian delegation to the Vienna Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control, said his country would not take part in meetings of the Joint Consultative Group starting from March 11.
The Vienna-based Joint Consultative Group handles issues connected with the observance of the treaty.
Mazur also said Moscow “considers it senseless to continue its participation in the meetings of the” consultative group “for political and practical reasons and unreasonably costly from the financial-economic point of view.”
The official added that the decision made the 2007 suspension of the Russian participation in the CFE treaty “complete.”
Russia had stopped its participation in the CFE in 2007, but continued to take part in the consulting group related to the treaty signed in 1990.
Moscow is still a signatory to the treaty that is regarded as a cornerstone of security in post-Cold War Europe.
Relations between Moscow and the West have strained after the start of the crisis in Ukraine’s east as the US and NATO have accused Moscow of involvement in the turmoil there and have imposed a series of sanctions against Russian and pro-Russia figures. Moscow, however, rejects the accusation.
PRESS T.V
R.S