Regrettable that Russia is withdrawing from the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe

“It is regrettable that President Putin has now announced that Russia is withdrawing from the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE Treaty),” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

“The CFE Treaty is an important instrument that has demonstrated its value and contributed significantly to security and stability in Europe since it entered into force in 1992. We want to continue being constructive and discuss the aspects of the treaty that Russia finds problematic. This was why an extraordinary CFE Conference was held in Vienna in mid-June. We regret that no headway was made at the conference,” said the Foreign Minister.

“The CFE Treaty has played a particularly valuable role in promoting greater openness between the countries. It would be extremely unfortunate if this openness were now to be destroyed,” said Mr Støre.

He underscored that the NATO countries have stressed the importance of Russia fulfilling the commitments it has undertaken. This applies first of all to the withdrawal of Russian military forces and materiel from Georgia and Moldova.

At the same time the Foreign Minister said that the parties should continue their efforts to reach agreement on keeping the CFE Treaty. “The NATO countries should be prepared to resume negotiations with Russia if there is any prospect of reaching agreement on this issue,” said the Foreign Minister.

He continues to hope that it will be possible to arrive at a solution that will maintain the clear flank limitations in our flank areas. “It is especially important that the so-called flank regime is maintained as it sets a ceiling on Russian force levels. This will be a key consideration for Norway in the further consultations in NATO and the negotiations with Russia on this issue,” said Mr Støre.