Russia Will Not Seek To Leave CFE Treaty At Vienna Conference

Sergei Lavrov (file photo) (NATO) June 6, 2007 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Russia will not seek to abandon the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty when a conference of treaty signatories is held in Vienna on June 12-15.

Russia last month called for the emergency conference amid increasing friction between Moscow and NATO. President Vladimir Putin, noting that no Western countries had ratified the pact, said in April that Russia would suspend its compliance with the treaty and could dump it altogether.

(AP, Interfax)