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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 30 august 2017

Russia seeks to allay Western fears about planned war games

By V. ISACHENKOV narios have been floated,”
Associated Press he said at a briefing for
MOSCOW (AP) — In a bid to foreign military attaches.
dispel Western fears about “Some have reached as far
planned war games by Rus- as to claim that the Zapad
sia and Belarus, the Russian 2017 exercises will serve as
military said Tuesday the a ‘platform for invasion’
maneuvers simulating a re- and ‘occupation’ of Lithu-
sponse to foreign-backed ania, Poland and Ukraine.”
“extremists” won’t threaten Fomin said the Russian mili-
anyone. tary will invite foreign ob-
The maneuvers, to be held servers to the maneuvers,
Sept. 14-20 in Belarus and which will involve 5,500 Rus-
western Russia, have raised sian and 7,200 Belarusian
NATO concerns. Some alli- troops, about 70 aircraft,
ance members, including up to 250 tanks, 200 artillery
the Baltic states and Po- systems and 10 navy ships.
land, have criticized Mos- Moscow’s assurances,
cow for a lack of transpar- however, have failed to as-
ency and questioned its suage Russia’s neighbors,
intentions. which expect the drills to
Amid spiraling tensions over be far greater in scope
fighting in Ukraine, Western than officially declared.
worries about the planned Estonian Defense Minister
maneuvers have ranged Juri Luik said last month In this photo taken on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017 Russian soldiers compete during a team’s run at
from allegations that Russia that Moscow could deploy the Army Scout Masters competition, part of Army Games, outside Novosibirsk, 2900 km (some
could keep its forces in Be- up to 100,000 troops for the 1800 miles) east of Moscow, Russia. The Russian military says major war games, the Zapad (West)
larus after the drills, to fears maneuvers. Poland’s Dep- 2017 maneuvers, set for next month will not threaten anyone.
of a surprise attack on the uty Defense Minister Michal (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)
Baltics. Dworczyk also questioned pressed hope that the ex- Jens Stoltenberg said last way of observing” the drills.
Russia’s Deputy Defense Russia’s official claims, say- ercise “will not include any week that the alliance will NATO has rotated military
Minister, Lt. Gen. Alexan- ing that Warsaw expects aggressive scenarios” and send two observers to the units in the Baltics and Po-
der Fomin, rejected what many more Russian soldiers won’t cause any incidents, maneuvers, but noted that land and held regular drills
he described as Western and equipment to be de- adding that “operations access offered by Belarus in the region — activities
“myths about the so-called ployed. on this scale always run this does not constitute real that Moscow has criticized
Russian threat.” Speaking Monday on Polish risk.” monitoring. He said NATO is as a reflection of its hostile
“The most improbable sce- state Radio 1, Dworczyk ex- NATO Secretary-General seeking “a more thorough intentions.q

France’s Macron: Fighting terrorism abroad is top priority

By SYLVIE CORBET “Restoring peace and sta- the Syrian crisis would be political process will help At the same time, he
Associated Press bility — Iraq then Syria — is involved. “eradicating terrorists.” pledged to harden perma-
PARIS (AP) — French Presi- vital priority for France,” he The group will first meet at He vowed to help Libya’s nent security measures to
dent Emmanuel Macron said. the United Nations in New neighbors, especially Tuni- fight Islamic extremism and
has made the fight against He proposed creating a York next month. sia, to protect those nations other threats.
“Islamic terrorism” in Syria new contact group includ- Macron also announced against the risk of destabili- The state of emergency ex-
and Iraq the top priority in ing the other permanent the organization in Paris zation. pires Nov. 1.
his foreign policy agenda. members of the U.N. Secu- of an international summit On French territory, Macron Macron recalled France’s
Speaking Tuesday to rity Council to help handle “against the financing of confirmed that he plans commitment toward the
French diplomats gath- negotiations with Syria. He terrorism” at the beginning to lift a state of emergen- 2015 nuclear deal between
ered at the Elysee Palace didn’t give more details of next year. cy that has been in place Iran and world powers — an
in Paris, Macron called the about the exact role and In Libya, a key country in since deadly November agreement President Don-
Islamic State group “our composition of this group, Africa’s unstable Sahel re- 2015 attacks by Islamic ex- ald Trump has threatened
enemy.” saying the main players of gion, Macron said only a tremists in Paris. to pull the U.S. out of.q