MOSCOW, July 31. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry urged NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen to take care of making the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty multipartite which Russia called for repeatedly.

“Moscow has studied NATO general secretary’s statements on the issue of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles with some surprise,” the diplomatic agency said.

“We hope that the general secretary will not challenge this treaty was concluded in December 1987 between the Soviet Union and the United States, but not between the Soviet Union and NATO or Russia and NATO,” the ministry said.

“If the essence of concerns voiced in the statement lies in the situation over observing provisions of this document, he should address not to us, but to the North Atlantic Alliance member state which is a signatory nation to the treaty,” the Foreign Ministry said.

“If the NATO general secretary would like to make a serious contribution in making the INF Treaty regime stronger, we would recommend to him to take care of making the agreement multipartite which Russia called for repeatedly,” the ministry added.

On July 30, the NATO chief said “Russia should work constructively to resolve this critical Treaty issue and preserve the viability of the INF Treaty by returning to full compliance in a verifiable manner. Continuing to uphold the Treaty strengthens the security of all, including Russia.”

Backing US accusations against Russia made at a media briefing of ambassadors from 28 NATO states Rasmussen recalled that the INF Treaty obligations envisage “not to possess, produce, or flight-test a ground-launched cruise missile with a range capability of 500 to 5,500 kilometers.