Moscow: Ahead of a crucial parliamentary
vote on the issue, President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday said Russia
will deploy its armed forces beyond its borders, a move that
may spark international concerns especially in the west.
Ahead of crucial parliamentary vote Medvedev declared
that Russia will use armed forces beyond national borders as
'last resort' to protect its citizens.
"Our citizens must be protected in any part of the
world, and they must feel protected by the state and this must
be laid in the laws," Medvedev underscored.
Tomorrow the Russian upper house - Federation Council
is scheduled to vote on the amendments allowing the president
to send military outside the national borders in extreme cases
like August 2008 war with Georgia.
The lower house - State Duma has already approved the
amendments tabled by the Kremlin, however, under the Russian
statute, only the Federation Council has the right to approve
the deployment of Russian military outside the country's
borders.
Ahead of tomorrow's vote interacting with the upper
house members he said armed forces would be used outside the
country only in 'extreme circumstances' to protect Russian
nationals.
"Such decisions will be made only when absolutely
necessary," Medvedev underscored assuaging the concerns of
lawmakers.
In August 2008, Medvedev had to order the use of
military in neighbouring Georgia after Tbilisi tried to regain
control over breakaway province of Abkhazia, with most of
resident holding Russian passports.
The amendments expanding the use of national military
outside the Russian borders were approved by Duma on October
23 with an overwhelming vote.
It will have the provisions for the use of armed
forces in case of an attack on Russian troops deployed outside
the country to repel or prevent an armed attack on another
state seeking Russian military assistance, defend Russian
nationals abroad from an armed attack, fight sea piracy and
ensure the safety of commercial shipping.
Russia's current 2006 legislation only allows the
president to send troops to fight terrorism on foreign soil.
Experts have said the law lacks clearly defined
terms of "wartime" and a "combat situation," which complicates
the deployment of troops outside the country.
Bureau Report