The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (R) and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko attend a press conference in Brussels, capital of Belgium, Dec. 3, 2008. NATO on Wednesday urged Russia to return to the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty, one year after Moscow suspended its participation in the regime. (Xinhua/Tang Ji) Photo Gallery>>>
BRUSSELS, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Wednesday that there is no need to have a new security architecture as Russian President Dmitry Medvedev proposes.
Asked to comment on Medvedev's proposals on a new pan-European security structure, de Hoop Scheffer said: "We are quite happy with the security structure as it exists in Europe."
"I think it's a good security structure and it is also crystal clear that the present security structure should remain intact, that NATO is NATO and there is not a glimmer of chance that in whatever discussion NATO could or would be negotiated away. That is totally out of the question," said de Hoop Scheffer.
He said Medvedev's proposals remain general and clarifications are needed. He said a lot of questions remain in what Medvedev's proposals exactly entail, citing the examples of the role of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty and the notion of territorial integrity, in the context that Russia has just recognized Georgia's two breakaway regions as independent states.
Moscow suspended its participation in the CFE a long ago.
"I would very much appreciate to see there is more substance," he said.
De Hoop Scheffer said NATO allies would be ready to enter into discussion with Russia on the issue if Medvedev puts forward concrete proposals.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer addresses a press conference in Brussels, capital of Belgium, Dec. 3, 2008. NATO on Wednesday urged Russia to return to the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty, one year after Moscow suspended its participation in the regime. (Xinhua/Tang Ji) Photo Gallery>>>
The European Union (EU) and Russia agreed last month to hold an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) summit in the summer of 2009 to discuss Medvedev's proposals.
The issue is also on the agenda of an OSCE meeting later this week in Helsinki, capital of Finland. De Hoop Scheffer said the NATO countries in the OSCE will voice their opinions.
A scheduled briefing on the Medvedev proposals by Russian ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, was cancelled as a result of NATO's decision to suspend high-level talks with Russia in the wake of the Georgia-Russia military conflict in August.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili attends a press conference in Brussels, capital of Belgium, Dec. 3, 2008. (Xinhua/Tang Ji) Photo Gallery>>>
BRUSSELS, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- NATO foreign ministers said Wednesday that they wish to see Albania and Croatia join the alliance by April 2009 at a NATO summit.
"At our summit next year, we aim to welcome Albania and Croatia as new members of the alliance," said the foreign ministers in a statement.
BRUSSELS, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Wednesday urged Russia to return to the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty, one year after Moscow suspended its participation in the regime.
"We urge Russia to work cooperatively with us and other concerned CFE States Parties to reach agreement on the basis of the parallel actions package so that together we can preserve the benefits of this landmark regime," said the 26-member military alliance in a communique during its two-day foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels.
BRUSSELS, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Russian envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin on Wednesday welcomed NATO's decision to gradually re-engage with Moscow and accepted its offer to hold informal meetings in the framework of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC).
Rogozin insisted that NATO foreign ministers' decision to restore relations with Russia was unconditional, contrary to NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer's interpretation, who on Tuesday characterized the ministers' decision as "a conditional and graduated re-engagement."
