Russian Foreign Ministry: NATO uses Vienna Document to collect intelligence

Response to Russophobia from the Baltic States is being prepared

The first concerned the possible response of Russia to the unfriendly actions of Latvia, which called our country "sponsor of terrorism" and Estonia, which suggested that the EU consider Schengen visas for Russians "privilege"?

The representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry noted that responses to unfriendly actions are now being considered and developed, they will soon be officially published.

Russia is not worried about US-led exercises in Tajikistan

Two questions were also asked about Russia's multilateral cooperation with its neighbors in the field of security.

The journalist asked how Russia assesses the participation of the CSTO countries - Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan - in the exercises "Regional Cooperation - 2022" under the command of the United States. They, as the correspondent of The Moscow Post recalled, are held in Tajikistan and extend until August 20?

Ivan Nechaev noted that Russia has no need to doubt the commitment of the Central Asian allies to the principles of cooperation in the CSTO and bilateral agreements. The Russian Foreign Ministry proceeds from the fact that contacts with countries unfriendly to Russia should not harm strategic partnership with our country, as well as contradict obligations within the framework of general agreements and associations, including the CSTO and the EAEU, the CIS and the SCO.

The diplomat drew attention to the upcoming joint measures of collective training of the CSTO forces within the framework of the operational-strategic exercise "Combat Brotherhood-2022" in the territories of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which will contribute to the security and stability of Central Asia.

In September and October 2022, in Kazakhstan, at the Madybulak training ground, it is planned to conduct three exercises uniting the training of various components of the CSTO: a command and staff exercise with the collective rapid response forces of the Interaction-2022 ODKD, they provide for the development of issues and a joint operation to localize the armed conflict in the Central Asian region of collective security.

The second planned exercise is a special one with the forces and means of intelligence "Search-2022." The third - with the forces and means of material and technical support of the collective forces of the CSTO "Echelon."

The diplomat also pointed to plans for other exercises of the CSTO allied forces. So in Tajikistan, at the Harbmaydon training ground in a mountainous area, in the interests of working out the tasks of countering international terrorist organizations, a joint exercise was planned under the auspices of the collective rapid deployment forces of the Central Asian region "Rubezh-2022."

In Kyrgyzstan, on the territory of the Edelweiss training center, a command and staff exercise will be held with the CSTO peacekeeping forces - the Unbreakable Brotherhood, where the tasks of post-conflict settlement in the crisis zone and the peacekeeping operation will be worked out.

Also, from August 2 to 5, a tactical and special exercise "Cobalt-2022" has already taken place in Kyrgyzstan with a special unit of special forces of the collective response forces of the CSTO, with the participation of observers from the UN, CIS, OSCE, SCO, ICRC.

"The exercises are aimed at practicing practical actions to destroy gangs that illegally crossed state borders, suppress drug trafficking channels, and seize weapons to eliminate emergencies and their consequences," Ivan Nechaev said.

"Vienna Document" does not work in practice

The Moscow Post journalist also asked to comment on the visit to Ukraine of Polish Foreign Minister, who is now chairing the OSCE, Zbigniew Rau. He violated the organization's mandate and announced some "OSCE programs in Ukraine" that were not discussed or approved by the permanent council. Earlier, the Minister of Defense of Russia noted that the OSCE, which was conceived as a platform for dialogue and accounting for various opinions, became a generator of anti-Russian narratives.

In particular, as the correspondent of The Moscow Post recalled, the Vienna Document on confidence-building and security measures of 2011 formally remains in force, but the prospects for its practical implementation "are not visible."

Ivan Nechaev noted that in the implementation of the Vienna Document, Russia responsibly complies with its provisions. At the same time, in the context of a significant decrease in confidence between the states parties to the agreement, NATO countries seek to use the mechanisms for verifying the provided data as an additional source of intelligence information.

"Such an approach to the collective West in combination with the non-inclusion of the entire US territory in the inspection area calls into question the effectiveness and prospects for further practical implementation of the Vienna Document", the diplomat summed up.

Photo: Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation