Russia to abstain from joining arms trade treaty for a while
MOSCOW. April 3 (Interfax) - A system similar to that of the UN General Assembly resolution on the arms trade treaty endorsed on Tuesday has long been in effect in Russia, and its standards are higher than those of the UN document, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"The UN General Assembly passed a resolution with regard to the arms trade treaty on April 2 to open it for signing from June 3, 2013. Bearing in mind the prevailing international wish for the soonest possible establishment of a legally binding instrument to regulate conventional arms trade, the result was anticipated," says a report published on the ministry website on Wednesday.
"The Russian Federation abstained from voting and instead made a statement. The reasons are well known; they have been explained many times, particularly, after the UN final conference on the arms trade treaty," the report said.
Yet the Russian Foreign Ministry sees as "a certain positive fact the ability of the treaty, if it is fulfilled fully, to provide more order in global arms trade."
"Its core is the commitment of nations to create systems for control over transfers of weapons, in particular, for the prevention of leaks of armaments into illegal trade, from where they may get into the hands of criminals and terrorists and fuel armed conflicts and violence," the report said.
"Russia has had such a system for a long time and its standards are much higher than those established by the arms trade treaty," the report said.
Nevertheless, "many provisions of the treaty cause doubts and questions and require additional elaboration, after which the expediency of our country's joining will be determined," the report said.
