Russia warns NATO

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, AUG. 23. Russia has warned NATO that its operation to collect arms from Albanian rebels in Macedonia could incite extremism and separatism in the former Yugoslav republic.

``A credible threat of an ethnically-defined split of state persists (in Macedonia). In these conditions, international efforts must not appear as an encouragement of extremism and a de facto legitimisation of separatism,'' said the Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement.

Moscow said the NATO operation would not resolve the crisis in Macedonia, as its roots were outside the country.

Macedonia's problems ``are not confined to the organisation of a voluntary surrender of arms'', said the statement. ``It is no less important to put an end to the spillover of extremism and instability to Macedonia from the territory of Kosovo, to close the channels of material and financial support of terrorism and separatism in the Balkans.''

Moscow made it clear it would blame NATO for a possible aggravation of crisis in Macedonia.

``NATO has undoubtedly assumed a great responsibility for what is happening in Macedonia and for the prospects of ending the crisis in that Balkan state,'' it said. Moscow repeated its proposal for a summit of all Balkan states to sign ``a legally binding pact on security and sovereignty in the region''.

The RIA-Novosti news agency quoted Defence Ministry officials as saying that Russian troops would not take part in the NATO operation, as it had not been approved by the U.N. Security Council. Russian politicians said international intervention would only make sense if it had a mandate for disarming Albanian militants by force.

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Section  : International
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