Appeal

of Bureau of International Federation for Peace and Conciliation in Connection with Coming Ratification by Russia of the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) and Agreement about CFE Adaptation.

Ratification of the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) taking into consideration the Agreement about CFE adaptation signed in Istanbul November, 19, 1999 shell be of great political importance for all countries- members. Restriction of Conventional Forces in the territory from Atlantic to Ural promotes consolidation of European security and protection of military-political stability in Europe and all over the world.

Until now Agreement about CFE adaptation (1999) was ratified just by three countries – Byelorussia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. President of Russian Federation introduced ratification package to State Duma, so now Russia is on the threshold of ratification.

Meanwhile NATO countries evidently delaying ratification process destabilize thereby all process of the control on armaments which was elaborated by to the end of 80^th of the last century.

Apparently that the pendency of “Georgian – Moldavian problems knot” create concern to NATO countries. But this is hardly can be a cause for toughening general position of Western nations relative to Russia and putting permanent pressure upon the country. Relations like this at least are tactless.

Western nations couldn’t disclaim that during last 10 years Russian Federation realized a huge number of measures directed to reduction their strategic armaments and also conventional forces. Capacity of undertaken actions exceeds greatly number of analogous measures executed by NATO countries at least in European continent.

From the beginning of 90^th Russian Federation was obliged to realize great number of actions directed to transportation, control, localization and destruction of redundant number of weapon of mass destruction. For example, only from Ukraine, Byelorussia and Kazakhstan was removed about 3300 strategic nuclear practice cartridges. On the whole during 10 years about 20 thousand of nuclear cartridges were converted with consequent warehousing and the utilization of the most part. At the same time Russia provided the elimination of chemical weapons containing about 40 thousand tons of military poison-gas. These works are still going on until now.

All of these measures were linked with provision of high precaution, barring of any leakings, demanded colossal finance expenses and huge physical energies.

USA answered to this Russia god will position and observance of agreement terms by withdrawal from the ABM Treaty.

Illegality of argumentation based on so-called “Georgian – Moldavian problems knot” is obvious. Focusing on “Georgian – Moldavian problem factor” NATO countries aren’t pay any attention to circumstances which give Russia real troubles.

First of all it is NATO expansion with following increase of North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries military activity. As a matter of fact Baltic countries by joining NATO brought to breach military-political stability system in this region. This and the series of other military-political problems have an influence upon common international climate in sphere of security confidence in Europe.

Peacemaking public forces are concerned by the fact that in Baltic countries there is a military infrastructure including possibility for using of the system for nuclear weapons delivery (supporting bases, warehouses, aerodromes, reserve systems, etc.). All of this make real to deploy sizeable NATO force in this region in the shortest possible time.

Russian society also is worried about the problems of Russian-speaking people in Estonia and Latvia which are subjected to evident offence against human rights and liberties that are not only of legal but military-political character.

In this conditions process of CFE ratification should be realized reasoning from security interests and stability protection in the whole European area.

For real progress in process of arm limitation and reduction it is important to make not only one-sided actions but to form joint process directed to fulcrum of all-Europe methods in this sphere.

To achieve results it is necessary that Federal Assembly of Russian Federation should call on International inter-Parliament conference with participation of peacemaking non-government organization in the near future. Participants of this action shall view complex of problems of peace and security in Europe, taking into consideration factors influencing its successful realization. This meeting shall result in decision about synchronized CFE ratification by Parliament of all countries, and first of all such as USA, Germany, Poland, Hungary and others.

From the peacemaking organizations point-of-view taking into account NATO mission to provide with security of their members and in an effort to consolidate confidence measures it is necessary to initiate creation of demilitarized zone in Baltic countries.

In this context CFE ratification would bring us to real conditions for maintaining treaty process on arms control contributing to ensuring security for all parts of this Treaty.