Europe States Call to Renew Conventional Arms Control as Existing Treaties Fail
15:44 25.11.2016(updated 17:33 25.11.2016)
Fourteen European countries' top diplomats called for relaunching conventional arms control to prop up stability and peace on the continent.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The foreign ministers of 14 European nations have called to renew conventional arms controls to reduce military risks after seeing the existing treaties "crumble" in recent years, in a declaration published Friday.
"We are convinced that a relaunch of conventional arms control is one important path towards a genuine and effective cooperative security allowing for peace and stability on our continent," the statement read.
According to the document, the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe is not being fully implemented and the OSCE's Vienna Document needs to be overhauled. Some provisions of the Open Skies Treaty are also not being enforced.
The declaration was promoted by Germany and signed by Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. It called on other nations to join the initiative.
This comes after German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told a local newspaper, Die Welt, that joint initiatives and a dialogue with Russia were crucial for stability and security in Europe.
© Sputnik
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