Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

Black Sea countries must resist terrorism in area themselves - Russian Navy chief

MOSCOW. April 30 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia is opposed to the spread of the NATO Operation Active Endeavor to the Black Sea, Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Adm. Vladimir Masorin has told Interfax-AVN.

"Russia's stance is that we are ready to participate in Active Endeavor in the Mediterranean but in the Black Sea only countries of the region should be involved and the maritime operation Black Sea Harmony initiated by Turkey is aimed at that," he said.

"Russia has nothing against foreign ships making friendly visits to the Black Sea. It is even not opposed to short exercises," he said. "But we are strongly opposed to large-scale exercises and the permanent presence of ships of third countries, that is not littoral countries," Masorin said.

He reminded Interfax-AVN of the 1936 Montreaux Convention that restricts the passage of the Turkish Straits by outside naval vessels and their stay in the Black Sea in class, displacement and duration of stay.

"We have excellent relations with the Turkish Navy Command but even we are not given any concessions as far as the fulfillment of the Montreaux Convention provisions is concerned," he said.

He said that purely formal matters remain to be settled to launch joint efforts in the framework of Operation Black Sea Harmony. "Letters to be exchanged between the governments of the two countries are expected to be signed in the nearest future and after that Russian and Turkish ships can start joint missions in the Black Sea," Masorin said.

Ukraine is also negotiating participation in the operation, he said. "Romania and Bulgaria have been passive with regard to the idea so far," he said. ml
http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/0/28.html?id_issue=11507600