VILNIUS, July 11. /TASS/. NATO member countries call upon Russia to comply with its obligations under the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty before the planned withdrawal and to reconsider its decision to quit the agreement, the alliance’s members said in the final communique of the Vilnius summit on Tuesday.

"We also condemn Russia’s decision to withdraw from the landmark Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe," the document says. "Allies urge Russia to implement its commitments and obligations, and to use the remaining time before its withdrawal to reconsider its decision. Allies will continue to consult on the implications of Russia’s withdrawal from the CFE Treaty and its impact on the security of the Alliance."

On May 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on the denunciation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), which came into force on June 9.

The treaty was signed in 1990 and was later updated in 1997. NATO countries did not ratify the modified version of the treaty, continuing to adhere to the 1990 provisions, which contain conventional arms norms based on the balance between NATO and the Warsaw Pact Organization.

As a result, Russia was forced to declare a moratorium on the implementation of the agreement in 2007. On March 11, 2015, Russia suspended its participation in meetings of the Joint Consultative Group on CFE Treaty, thus completing the process of suspending its membership in the treaty, but it continued to be a party to the treaty from a legal perspective.

Since then, Russia's interests in the Joint Consultative Group have been represented by Belarus.