Posted on 06/25/2004 10:53:57 AM PDT by knighthawk
MOSCOW, June 25. (RIA Novosti) - Russia will touch upon the Afghan question at the meeting of the Russia-NATO Council at foreign ministers' level. The meeting will be held in Istanbul on June 28th.
"NATO plays a significant part in Afghan affairs," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Chizhov said at a press conference in RIA Novosti on Friday, adding that the alliance was participating in the UN peacekeeping operation.
Russia is interested in expanding cooperation with NATO as regards creation of the so-called safety belts to prevent drug spread from Afghanistan via Turkey, Russia and Central Asian states, he said.
"Neither the new Afghan government, nor Afghanistan's neighbors are able to solve the problem on their own. It provides ground for cooperation, including safety belts around Afghanistan," Chizhov said.
"The Russia-NATO Council's agenda will consist of two components, analysis of the Council's two-year work and insight in the future, as well as discussion of topical problems," the deputy minister said.
Moscow urges the international community to intensify its efforts to fight drug trafficking from Afghanistan. "Neither the UN peacekeepers nor the coalition forces are engaged in efficient fight," Chizhov pointed out.
This is proved by the fact that drug flow from Afghanistan continues growing, he said.
There are several approaches to the problem, first of all dusting crops of drug-containing plants and creation of different barriers on drug dealers' routes, the Russian diplomat pointed out.
At the same time, the problem is not about single couriers, but about large bands ready to fight their way through different obstacles, he added.
"Russia has its own view of the problems - a comprehensive approach is necessary to solve them," Chizhov said.
For example, it is necessary to re-orient the drug-producing sector of the Afghan economy for something else, he believes.
"It is no secret that profitsfrom drug trafficking are comparable to the volumes of all humanitarian aid Afghanistan receives," he pointed out.
Besides, it is necessary to engage in fight against the drug threat Afghanistan's neighbors and international structures.
Besides this problem the meeting in Istanbul will discuss the situation in the Balkans, which is "far from being stabilized", Chizhov said.
When answering journalists' questions, he said that NATO's mechanic enlargement was an attempt to answer the 21st century challenges by the 20th century means.
Speaking on the Baltic states' accession to NATO, the deputy minister said that "Russia is not glad about the process, as well as about the alliance's mechanic enlargement on the whole".
It would be logically expedient to carry out transformation first, and then enlargement, he added.
Moscow is also worried about a delay in ratifying the adapted Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty.
"We regret that the NATO member states delay the ratification, thus delaying its ratification by the four new NATO members (the Baltic states and Slovenia)," Chizhov pointed out.
Moscow expects that the alliance will comply with its commitments of military restraint, and that the Baltic states will joint the Treaty as soon as it is possible, he said.
The adapted CFE has been ratified by three countries, he recalled.
"The collective stand of the NATO members is linked to groundless conditions towards Russia, the Istanbul agreements of 1999 [withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia and Trans-Dnestria]," he concluded.
Ping
Russia and Ukraine may join NATO patrols
BRUSSELS Russia and Ukraine will be invited to join NATO's anti-terrorism patrols in the Mediterranean, the alliance secretary general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, said Thursday.
A NATO official said Russia and Ukraine would be expected to contribute ships to the operation, but details of their participation have not yet been worked out. The maritime security operation involves about a dozen NATO ships hailing and boarding suspect vessels in the sea between Southern Europe from North Africa, and escorting nonmilitary vessels through the Straits of Gibraltar.
Reuters
We should be happy to work with Russia, as long as we have their complete cooperation in the War on Islam.
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