U.S. ready to discuss further arms reduction with Russia - official
http://en.rian.ru/world/20110217/162642437.html
The United States is ready to discuss further arms reduction efforts with Russia, including tactical nuclear weapons, a high-ranking State Department official said.
President Barack Obama said in a message to the Senate early this month his country expects to hold talks with Russia on tactical nuclear weapons (TNW) within a year after the New START arms reduction treaty comes into force.
"We can seek deeper nuclear reductions and we are committed to seeking deeper nuclear reductions with Russia, including in strategic, non-strategic, and non-deployed weapons," Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs Ellen Tauscher said.
Tauscher also said that the creation of European missile defense system and ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) also remained priorities for the U.S.
"Ratifying the CTBT would bolster our credibility as we work to stop others from developing nuclear weapons and testing them," she said.
Russia's ambassador to the U.S., Sergei Kislyak, said nuclear non-proliferation remained one of the vital tasks on the Russian-U.S. agenda.
"By signing and ratifying the strategic arms reduction treaty we proved our ability to cooperate on non-proliferation issues," he said.
"We have extensive international and bilateral agenda. And the arms reduction treaty is a good start," the Russian ambassador added.
When ratifying the New START deal with Moscow in December, the U.S. Senate adopted a resolution obligating the government to start bilateral talks on cutting the TNW stockpiles - landmines, artillery shells and short-range missiles. Washington says Moscow has a larger number of these systems.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said January 29 that it is too early to discuss limiting TNW with the United States because Russia needs to see the way the U.S. fulfills the undertaken commitments.
WASHINGTON, February 16 (RIA Novosti)
Russian calendar: Key events for February 17
http://www.prime-tass.com/news/calendar/_Russian_calendar_Key_events_for_February_17/-103/%7BD4CAA8C2-84F0-4378-A5CD-E6D553D2EDA1%7D.uif
Russia’s Regional Development Minister Viktor Basargin to visit Estonia, until February 18
12:09
BELARUS AUTHORITIES SEEK TO TRIGGER ANTI-RUSSIAN SENTIMENTS USING SITUATION SURROUNDING TWO DETAINED RUSSIANS - RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY
http://www.interfax.com/news.asp
Analysis | 17.02.11 | 12:44
Armenia-Russia Relations: Deputy MFA listens to opposition party concerns
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/27725/armenia_russia_military_base
By Naira Hayrumyan
ArmeniaNow correspondent
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Grigoriy Karasin was in Armenia this week to discuss a broad agenda of Russian-Armenian relations. Besides meeting with representatives of the executive authorities, he also met with representatives of the legislature, including the opposition Heritage Party.
This unlikely choice for the interlocutor is perhaps connected with the fact that it is representatives of Heritage who have openly linked Armenia’s socio-economic failures and even foreign-policy problems with the excessively close relationship with Russia.
It is symptomatic that shortly after the top Russian diplomat’s arrival, on Tuesday, the Constitutional Court issued a ruling recognizing last year’s agreement between Yerevan and Moscow to extend the term of the Russian military base in Armenia as corresponding to the country’s Constitution, [paving the way for its ratification].
In August 2010, during Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s state visit to Armenia, the two sides signed a protocol on extending the lease on the Russian military base in Gyumri from 25 to 49 years. In addition, the protocol provides for the expansion of the framework of the base’s geographical and strategic responsibility, essentially meaning that “protecting the security of Armenia” will be part of the base’s duties.
The subject of Armenia’s relations with Russia has been given particular attention also in connection with the initiative of the Government of Armenia to remove the ban on foreign-language schools (synonymous for many in Armenia to restoring Russian-language education in secondary schools) and the expansion of the activities of the Russian organization, Rossotrudnichestvo, under whose program thousands of Armenians have already left for Russia’s chosen remote provinces for migrant work and further assisted naturalization.
These initiatives have triggered an active public debate in Armenia raising the question of whether this policy is part of Russia’s “colonization” plan. Varied opinions have been voiced, and frequently include concerns of whether Armenia’s reliance on Russia threatens sovereignty.
In particular, during the Russian deputy foreign minister’s meeting with the Heritage faction, it was pointed out that Russia’s policy on the acquisition of property in Armenia is widespread, whereas its investment policy is at an undesired level.
The participants of the meeting expressed their views about Russia’s role in handling escalating tensions and militarization in the region, about the need for cooperation of the two countries’ delegations in international organizations. Environmental issues were also raised. In particular, members of the Heritage faction noted that a joint state-run Armenian-Russian enterprise, without considering public opinion, has been conducting the exploration of uranium deposits in Armenia, which adversely affects the environment.
The same day, Armenia’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Armen Movsisyan said that Armenia is working to maintain the importing price for Russian natural gas at its current level. Movsisyan also said because of the rise in the gas prices from April 2010 its consumption in Armenia has significantly fallen. The Armenian minister gave assurances that the Russian side -- in this particular case gas giant Gazprom -- approaches Armenia’s proposals “with understanding” and that the negotiations proceed in “a warm and friendly atmosphere.”
RF border guards did not use weapons to stop transgressor ship
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=15963032&PageNum=0
17.02.2011, 10.27
VLADIVOSTOK, February 17 (Itar-Tass) - Russian border guards have said that when they spotted an unmarked vessel in the area of the Smaller Kuril Archipelago on February 15 they gave signals used in international legal practice.
“The transgressor ship did not respond to inquiries, did not react to the legitimate demands of the border guard authorities to stop, the vessel was heading to the exit from the exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation,” the Sakhalin coast guard department of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) reported on Thursday.
“Signals with the use of pyrotechnics adopted in international legal practice were given for attracting the attention and stopping the transgressor vessel. Weapons were not used,” the Sakhalin coast guard department noted.
The Russian border guards sent information about the transgressor ship to the headquarters of the First District of the Japanese Maritime Security Agency. A joint investigation has been launched into the fact of finding an unmarked vessel in the area of the Smaller Kuril Archipelago.
On Wednesday, the Japanese authorities said they intended to thoroughly investigate reports that Russian border guards allegedly fired illuminating projectiles at an unidentified vessel in waters off the Smaller Kuril Archipelago, where it was staying illegally.
Inspectors of the Japanese Maritime Security Agency, after questioning of 20 captains of fishing vessels from Hokkaido, which could potentially be in the area of the incident for poaching, as well as checking on-board satellite navigation and positioning systems, arrived at the conclusion that none of these ships was present in the firing zone at the specified time.
The Japanese authorities believe that most probably, a vessel not owned by Japanese fishing companies was involved in the incident, and intend to further continue probing into its circumstances.
According to the Kyodo news agency, Russian border control authorities in Sakhalin on Thursday admitted firing a flare Tuesday at a boat of unknown nationality travelling near an islet group claimed by Japan. The latest announcement came a day after a border control official said the authorities did not shoot flares or anything else at any Japanese vessels travelling near the Habomai islet group held by Russia. In Tokyo, Japan’s top government spokesman Yukio Edano told a press conference, “We do not have any information indicating that it was a Japanese vessel.”
The Russian authorities said Thursday they found a boat that had entered its exclusive economic zone in waters southeast of the Habomai islets at around noon Tuesday and fired the flare demanding it stop for inspection. The boat ignored the demand and fled toward Hokkaido, they said. After the incident, the Russian authorities reported the matter to a local Japan Coast Guard office in Hokkaido and the two parties are currently conducting a joint investigation into the case.
Share with your friends: | 
