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MOSCOW TO DEMAND THAT NEW NATO MEMBERS JOIN CFE TREATY

MOSCOW, MARCH 30 (RIA NOVOSTI) - Moscow perceives NATO's decision to patrol the air space of some Baltic countries as hard-to-understand and needless, Alexander Yakovenko, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, told reporters at a RIA Novosti press conference today.

This zone's Russian sector is demilitarized, Mr. Yakovenko reminded his audience.

In his words, the deployment of NATO aircraft would have been justified during the Cold War. Right now, NATO is fighting terrorism together with Russia; consequently, we believe this measure to be excessive, Mr. Yakovenko noted.

According to Mr. Yakovenko, Moscow will raise this issue at the session of the Russia-NATO Council.

A flight of F16 fighters, which are deployed at an air-force base near Siauliai, will patrol Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian air space, after these three countries officially join NATO April 2.

It would still be premature to talk about retaliatory measures, Mr. Yakovenko said. On the one hand, relatively few planes will be flying patrol missions. On the other hand, our military will have to analyze military aspects of this issue, if this trend persists, thus deciding whether these steps require any Russian response, Yakovenko went on to say.

Such counter-productive steps don't match the level of projected Russia-NATO relations, Mr. Yakovenko pointed out.

Yakovenko also stressed that Moscow will see to it that new NATO members pledge to observe the CFE (Conventional Forces in Europe) Treaty de facto.

This issue will also be discussed at the forthcoming Brussels session of the Russia-NATO Council, Mr. Yakovenko told those present.

Russia will subsequently demand that such countries join the treaty de jure, Mr. Yakovenko said in conclusion.