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Putin: Main Threats to European Security Lie in Non-military Sphere
The main threats to European security "lie in the non-military sphere," including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and international terrorism, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a recent interview with an Austrian newspaper before his Vienna trip.
Quoted by Russian news agencies Thursday, Putin told Neue Kronen Zeitung that he saw "the real threats" for Europe in "the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, international terrorism, aggressive separatism, organized crimes, drug trafficking and ecological disasters, which might seriously upset strategic stability as a whole."
These threats could be solved by close international cooperation with mutual benefit and "Russia is striving for such cooperation," said Putin, who is to start a three-day working visit to Austria Thursday night.
Putin regarded many threats and risks as "global and trans- continental which could endanger the vital interests of all states and nations."
"We are well aware of our responsibility for the fate of Europe and are open for constructive exchange," he added.
Putin also promised to strictly comply with the agreements "in the field of strategic and conventional arms by contributing to the reduction of the level of arms in Europe and in the rest of the world."
"Within the framework of military reforms in Russia, we plan to significantly reduce the numerical strength of our armed forces," he said.
Russia's proposals for the reduction of nuclear arms and its initiatives on the peaceful exploration of outer space are widely known, he added.
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