Draft bill on suspension of CFE Treaty can be debated at Russian parliament in September

Read it in Russian

A draft bill on suspension of CFE Treaty can be considered by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma at one of its first sessions in September, Deputy Chair of the committee Natalya Narochnitskaya announced today, reports a REGNUM correspondent. Narochnitskaya also expressed confidence that the draft bill would be passed.

Suspension of the CFE Treaty does not breach the Russian law, says an explanation note to the draft bill. The treaty has no time limit. Each member-country, in accordance with the treaty, in order to implement its national sovereignty has a right to withdraw from the CFE Treaty on conditions that it gives a 150-day notice to all member-countries about its decision. The notice was sent on July 14, 2007.

“The time for consideration of the draft bill at the State Duma will depend on reaction of other member-countries of the treaty,” Chair of the State Duma Committee for Foreign Affairs Konstantin Kosachev said earlier.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin in his notice attached to the draft bill addressed to State Duma Chair Boris Gryzlov asked to consider the bill as priority.

As REGNUM reported before, the CFE Treaty is to be suspended in accordance with the president’s resolution. On July 23, the draft bill to suspend the CFE Treaty was introduced to the Russian State Duma. Its first plenary session after summer vacations is to be held on September 5.