NATO Expansion in Europe 'Runs Counter to OSCE Security Spirit'

NATO expansion in Europe contradicts the principles of security and cooperation in the OSCE framework, Armenian delegate at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Artashes Geghamyan told Sputnik Sunday.

HELSINKI (Sputnik), Svetlana Alexandarova — Geghamyan said that the moves made by NATO would not contribute to peace and stability within the OSCE spirit.

“When the Warsaw Pact was cancelled, there was no longer an ideological basis on NATO existence. Then the agreements existed that NATO would not expand to the East… Unfortunately, we have seen that during a decade the [NATO] borders shifted to the East and NATO has appeared in the imminent proximity to the Russian border,” Geghamyan said.

Geghamyan stressed that Russia had never threatened anyone, while being focused on protecting its national interests.

Following Crimea's reunification with Russia in March 2014, NATO has boosted its military presence in Eastern Europe close to Russia's borders, specifically in Poland and the Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

Russia has repeatedly expressed concern over NATO's increased military presence close to its borders.