HELSINKI, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The United States on
Friday gave a cool response to Russia's proposal of a new security pact for
Europe, saying there is no need for a new organization to replace NATO.
The institutions for European security like NATO, the
European Union and the OSCE (the Organization of Security and Cooperation in
Europe) "work well", (and) there is no need to change, U.S. Assistant Secretary
of State Daniel Fried said at a press conference on the sideline of the foreign
ministers' meeting of the OSCE.
Fried said the enlargement of NATO and the EU was
helpful to the stability in Central and Eastern Europe, which was "a good thing"
to Russia.
"No one is threatening Russia, we want partnership
with Russia," Fried noted.
Russia accuses the U.S. of using the NATO expansion
to encroach on its power territory, to encircle Russia with weapons and draw new
dividing lines in Europe. In response, Russia suspended the implementation of
the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) in November last year.
This June, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev blamed
NATO as the Cold War relic, proposing new European security arrangements
including a new treaty on European security.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country holds
the presidency of the European Union, agreed to discuss the proposal within the
OSCE as the first step.
On Thursday at the OSCE meeting, Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov outlined Russia's proposals for the new security
arrangements and the ministers discussed the issue over the luncheon.
"It was an interesting discussion," Fried said, but
he rejected any idea of holding a summit on the proposal in the near future.
"There was little support for ill-prepared meeting at summit level," he said.
However, he said the U.S. would continue discussion
on Russia's proposal.
Earlier on Thursday, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary
of State Matthew Bryza directly rejected Russia's proposal.
"There is no need for some new architecture and it is
pretty transparent, I think, what that's all about," Bryza told the press on the
sidelines of the OSCE meeting.
"I think it's about looking for an alternative to
NATO which has worked so well. NATO makes Russia uncomfortable," Bryza added.
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."
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."
