All NATO Activity 'In Line' With Founding Act Claims Official

MOSCOW (Sputnik), Alexander Mosesov — All NATO decisions are consistent with international commitments, including the NATO-Russia Founding Act, prohibiting the stationing of permanent combat forces in Eastern Europe, a NATO official told Sputnik on Tuesday.

On Monday, Polish presidential foreign policy adviser Krzysztof Szczerski stated that the three Baltic countries, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania will hold a summit November 3-4 in Bucharest to discuss stationing permanent NATO military bases in the countries.

Answering a question on NATO's support of the action, the official said that "everything NATO does is defensive, proportionate and in line with our international commitments."

According to the official's statement, NATO would not make decisions contradicting the Russia-NATO Founding Act of 1997, explicitly pledging that the alliance will not permanently station substantial combat forces in Eastern and Central Europe.

On August 13, amid Poland's desire to have permanent NATO bases in the country, Polish President Andrzej Duda called on the military alliance to increase its presence in the country during his first address to parliament.

The official pointed out that an increased NATO military presence in the eastern part of the Alliance is "rotational" and that plans to set up six command and control centers in Eastern Europe are "consistent" with the 1997 act.

Russia’s relations with NATO deteriorated sharply amid the crisis in Ukraine. The Alliance accused Moscow of meddling in Ukraine’s internal affairs, an allegation Russia has repeatedly denied, expressing concerns over the buildup of NATO forces along its western border, stressing that it could destabilize the region.