RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT DECLINES TO COMMENT ON GENERAL ROMANOV'S STATEMENT








MOSCOW, MARCH 1, 2001, /FROM A RIA-NOVOSTI CORRESPONDENT/ -- The Russian Foreign Ministry doesn't comment on statements by other departmental spokespersons. This was disclosed to RIA-NOVOSTI here today by Alexander Yakovenko in charge of the Foreign Ministry's information-and-press department. Yakovenko said this in connection with a statement on strategic-stability issues by Lt.-Gen. Vyacheslav Romanov, who heads the national center for minimizing nuclear dangers.


	The Russian Foreign Ministry is ready to explain only those particular statements being made by the Russian state's official representatives alone, Yakovenko stressed.


	Gen. Romanov, who talked to reporters in Moscow the other day, noted that Russia had the required technical potential for revising the START-II and START-II treaties, in case the United States abrogates the 1972-vintage ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missile) Treaty. Among other things, Russia could deploy various MIRV-ed ICBM-s, also fielding its medium-range and shorter-range missiles once again.


	At the same time, Romanov stressed that the relevant political decision would be made by Russia's leadership, in case the afore-said ABM Treaty is torpedoed.