MOSCOW. Oct 3 (Interfax-AVN) - Moscow has confirmed that Russia is not going to enter NATO.
"As for Russia's possible membership in NATO, this prospect is unlikely in the foreseeable future," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Gusarov said answering questions from Web users within the framework of a joint Internet project of Interfax and the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"NATO membership requires mutual defense guarantees from its members, but neither Russia nor the alliance need this," the diplomat said.
Touching on the NATO plans to enlarge eastwards, Gusarov said that if the Baltic states enter the alliance, "the approach of only a few dozen kilometers from St. Petersburg, cannot leave us indifferent."
In this situation, Russia is fully entitled to appropriately strengthen its own defensive potential in the nearby regions, the deputy foreign minister said. "But this would not be our choice," he said.
Noting that Moscow is closely following the processes going on in the military development sphere in the Baltic states as part of their preparations for joining NATO, Gusarov emphasized that their orientation and essence are not a secret - the creation of an infrastructure capable of accepting NATO forces in their territories.
An active process of military-technical integration of these countries into the system of collective defense of the Western countries is underway, which would radically change military- political realities in this region as well, the diplomat said. "Moreover, no answer has still been available to the question as to why and against what enemy these measures are being taken," he noted.
"In these circumstances, Moscow expects from NATO members and the countries seeking an invitation to the alliance a clear and unambiguous statement on the observation of restraint measures under the NATO- Russia Founding Act and the signing of the adapted Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE) - the cornerstone of European security," Gusarov said.
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