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Russia's Medvedev Says Ukraine Welcome In Regional Security Bloc
May 18, 2010
KYIV -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says Ukraine is welcome to join a Russia-dominated security bloc of former Soviet republics.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Medvedev, who is currently on his first state visit to Ukraine, said today that "if in the future [Ukraine] consider it proper to join the CSTO, we would be happy to accept you."
"The CSTO is not the Warsaw Pact," he said. "[W]e do not need confrontation with NATO or other military blocs."
Ties between Russia and Ukraine have grown warmer quickly since the February election of President Viktor Yanukovych.
Yanukovych's predecessor, Viktor Yushchenko, shunned Russia and had made taking Ukraine into NATO one of his top priorities.
compiled from agency reports
Copyright (c) 2010. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
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