"Invitations to all kinds of events are regularly coming to Moscow and other metropolitan cities. One can't take part in each-either due to other obligations or because of merely being too busy," he said to a news conference in Istanbul tonight.
President Putin is really very busy these days, as everyone knows, and his absence has no bearing at all on partnership with the alliance on the Russia-NATO Council, stressed the minister.
"None of my colleagues, either at our general conference or in bilateral contacts, has referred to the Council today to allege that its level fails to reflect all Parties' determination for genuine equal partnership," said Mr. Lavrov.
Russia has entirely coped with its obligations on the updated CFE, treaty on conventional forces in Europe, and the Foreign Minister hopes its partners will be also good on their pledges.
Russia ought to pull out its army bases from Georgia and arsenals from Transdniestria-unrecognized republic in Moldova. NATO countries make the point a proviso for ratifying the CFE treaty. Sergei Lavrov came strongly out against that stance.
Istanbul political understandings [on Russian bases pullout from Georgia] never appointed a deadline for base dismantling. As for arsenals based in Transdniestria, they could have been removed long ago if a respective document had been adopted last year. Jointly initialed by Moldova and Transdniestria, it was never adopted due to pressure from without, explained the Foreign Minister.
A five-sided arrangement for Transdniestria settlement is working on. It represents Russia, Ukraine, the OSCE, Moldova and Transdniestria, he added.
As for Russian army bases to be withdrawn from Georgia, the two presidents agreed to have relevant negotiations resumed.
Mr. Lavrov went over to the latest NATO statement on Kosovo to report its enthusiastic approval by Russia.
Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo are likely to stage ever more provocative acts. As NATO says in its statement, it will not put up with last March's violent ethnic cleansings re-enacted. As Russia sees it, the stance deserves full support.
The KFOR must follow UN Security Council orders to disarm illegal military formations and help refugees and exiles to get back home, he pointed out.
As Mr. Lavrov announced, three vessels of the Russian Navy will take part in the NATO Operation Active Endeavor in the East Mediterranean, after today's Russia-NATO Council session approved a Russian initiative on that score.
The council conferees pointed out the success of the Kaliningrad 2004 exercise, which was held within a few previous days in the Kaliningrad Region, Russian Baltic exclave, on an initiative of Russia's Ministry for Emergency and Calamity Relief.
"We have made understandings on the fields of our partnership, and I want to see it getting over to practical projects for our common security," said Sergei Lavrov as he enumerated those fields of teamwork-efforts against mass destruction weapon proliferation, drug threat and terrorism.
