NATO Countries Committed To Effective Arms Control - Stoltenberg

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd May, 2020) NATO countries advocate effective international arms control, in particular, consider it necessary to comply with the Open Skies Treaty by all its participants, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement on Friday.

A statement by the Secretary General of NATO was published after a meeting at the level of ambassadors of the alliance, which discussed the situation around the Open Skies Treaty.

"NATO Allies met today to discuss the Open Skies Treaty. We are firmly committed to the preservation of effective international arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation. We all agree that all states party to the Open Skies Treaty must fully implement their commitments and obligations. All NATO Allies are in full compliance with all provisions of the Treaty," the statement says.

At the same time, he accused Russia of maintaining restrictions on flights, which, he believes, is incompatible with the provisions of the treaty.

Stoltenberg explained that these were restrictions on flights over the Kaliningrad Region and near Russia's border with Georgia.

"Russia's ongoing selective implementation of its obligations under the Open Skies Treaty has undermined the contribution of this important Treaty to security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic region," Stoltenberg said.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said earlier that there had been no breaches of the treaty by Russia, and Moscow intended to fully comply with all the rights and obligations under the Open Skies Treaty as long as it is valid.