New issue for conflict: Moscow and Minsk debate over legitimacy of rapid response force agreements
6- 18.06.2009, 11:06
The Foreign Ministry of Russia calls documents signed at the last Collective Security Treaty Organisation legitimate.
“As for the opinion of our Belarusian colleagues about the status of the documents signed at the session of the CSTO, we find them legitimate,” said the official representative of the Russian FM Andrei Nesterenko at a press-conference on Thursday, Interfax informs.
“As for realization of the agreements achieved in Moscow, and primarily concerning the collective rapid-response forces, the member countries of the CSTO are not going to postpone it. We will launch the mechanisms for putting in force the collective rapid-response agreements, and implement practical measures for their creation and functioning,” he added.
As said by Nesterenko, the Russian Foreign Ministry expects “the pause with adopting the presiding functions of the CSTO in rotation by Belarusian partners won’t linger on”.
“So far these functions would be performed by the Russian Federation,” he said.
A. Nesterenko noted that the Russian side proceeds from the fact that the CSTO is a multi-lateral format of cooperation, specialized on collective security problems, and not on bilateral economic disputes between its member states.
“Minsk’s demarche obviously was in contrast with its traditionally constructive participation in the CSTO work, and in particular, with its active and positive contribution to preparation of materials considered at the session, including those relating the rapid-response force,” A. Nesterenko said.
In their turn, the Belarusian side stated that in a note handed to the Collective Security Treaty Organization's secretariat that the country's non-participation "means the lack of approval from the Republic of Belarus of decisions being considered" at the summit, along with the foreign and defense ministers' meetings, and "consequently a lack of consensus for the taking of these decisions."
As we have informed, because of the milk row, Alyaksandr Lukashenka pulled out of the session of the Collective Security Council of the summit of the CSTO on June 14, 2009 in Moscow.
