RUSSIA, IRAN ASSIGN PRIORITY TO GLOBAL AND REGIONAL STABILITY AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY








MOSCOW, MARCH 13, 2001 /FROM A RIA NOVOSTI CORRESPONDENT/ -- Russia and Iran assign priority to boosting global and regional stability and international security, reinforcing fundamentals of equality, mutual respect and mutually advantageous cooperation in the world. 


	According to informed sources in the Russian Foreign Ministry, strategic stability was the centrepiece of negotiations between Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and his Iranian counterpart Kamal Kharrazi.


	


	In their opinion, the aforesaid goals can be achieved only if all the states strictly fulfil obligations in keeping with the effective treaties and agreements in the security sphere, which form the basis of further measures on weapons limitation and disarmament. 


	


	In this connection, the two ministers pointed to the importance of preserving and complying with the 1972 ABM Treaty, which is the cornerstone of strategic stability and has been the basis of offensive weapons reduction for dozens of years.


	


	The sides expressed serious concerns over the potential destruction of the Treaty in connection with the US plans to deploy an NMD.


	


	The two officials believe that the abrogation of the ABM Treaty can spell dramatic consequences, i.e. undermine security of the world community as a whole, block the disarmament process and create conditions for a new arms race.


	


	The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that Russian and Iranian presidents emphasized the value of the UN General Assembly's resolution on preserving and complying with the ABM Treaty, which was adopted by an outright majority testifying to the vast international support of this document.