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Russia notifies OSCE it will not take part in Ukraine-requested consultations — diplomat

Konstantin Gavrilov noted Russia is not conducting any serious military activities that are to be reported under the Vienna Document

© EPA-EFE/DAVE MUSTAINE

VIENNA, February 15. /TASS/. Russia has officially notified the OSCE that it will not take part in the Ukraine-requested consultations on the situation at the Ukrainian border, since it is not conducting any extraordinary military activities, Konstantin Gavrilov, who leads the Russian delegation to the Vienna talks on military security and arms control, told TASS on Tuesday.

"Russia is not conducting any serious military activities that are to be reported under the Vienna Document [on confidence-building and security measures]. Troop movements in the zone of trust-building and security measures are carried out as part of regular combat training, which do not require notification," he specified.

"Bearing this in mind, Russia sees no grounds to use the procedures under provision 16 of the Vienna Document and will not take part in the corresponding meeting [at the OSCE on Tuesday]," he said.

A source in the OSCE told TASS earlier that closed-door consultations among the OSCE member countries, requested by Ukraine to discuss the compliance with the Vienna Document on Confidence and Security-Building Measures to clarify the situation along the Russian-Ukrainian border, are scheduled for Tuesday. The meeting was requested by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba, who claimed that Moscow had allegedly failed to respond to Ukraine’s request for explanations concerning the movement of Russian troops along the Ukrainian border.

Adopted within the OSCE in 2011, Vienna Document on Confidence and Security-Building Measures envisages inspections by OSCE member states of certain areas and army units with the goal of controlling military activities. Member nations annually exchange information about their armed forces and key weapons systems, defense and defense spending plans.

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