Seleznyov: European Security Should Be Based On Un And Osce

While on an official visit to China, State Duma speaker Gennady Seleznyov announced in Beijing that a European security system should be based on the structures of the UN Security Council and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. When answering the questions of Chinese journalists, Seleznyov explained that "talks between Moscow and Brussels do not mean that Russia is intending to become a member of the North Atlantic alliance." The speaker of Russia's lower chamber of parliament stressed that Russia was engaged in active consultations with the alliance to guarantee the security of Russia and European citizens. These talks took on a new momentum after the events of September 11th. The new European security system should be based on such organisations as the UN Security Council and the OSCE, Seleznyov believes. According to him, "Nato is an archaic structure and should pass into history."