WASHINGTON, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Foreign ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) wrapped up their two-day meeting here on Thursday, focusing their discussions on Russia and counter-terrorism.
During Thursday's sessions, the foreign ministers agreed on a series of measures to counter Russia in the Black Sea region, including more support for Georgia and Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at a press conference.
Such support could include training of maritime forces and coast guards, port visits and exercises and sharing information, according to a NATO statement.
Stoltenberg said that the alliance reiterated its demand for Russia to release the Ukrainian sailors and ships it seized last year near the Sea of Azov.
On Nov. 25, Russia seized three Ukrainian warships near the Kerch Strait connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, accusing them of breaching the Russian border. Moscow called the incident a provocation, while Kiev denied any wrongdoing and Western countries denounced the "aggressive" actions of Russia.
The Russian foreign ministry said that the allegations that Russia violated international law are "groundless and completely untrue," insisting that the detention of Ukrainian warships and their crews was carried out "in full compliance with the norms of international law, the constitution and the current legislation of the Russian Federation."
The dim future of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, a historic missile pact signed by Washington and Moscow decades ago, was another main issue at the meeting. Foreign ministers from the 29-nation alliance addressed Russia's "continuing violation of the INF Treaty," Stoltenberg said.
"Time is running out. So NATO is preparing for a world without the INF Treaty," the NATO head added.
In response, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko on Thursday rejected NATO's accusations.
Grushko noted that Russia has taken "unprecedented transparency measures" to prove it has not violated the treaty, while NATO ignored Moscow's legitimate concerns regarding many years of violations of the treaty by the United States.
Both the United States and Russia have announced their intention to quit the pact signed in 1987.
During the meeting, the ministers also addressed NATO's role in the fight against terrorism, including the ongoing Afghanistan peace talks and the fight against the Islamic State (IS). Stoltenberg said that NATO will continue to work with local partners and train local forces.
NATO held the ministerial-level meetings in Washington to mark the 70th anniversary of the military alliance, which was formally established on April 4, 1949 with the signing of the Washington Treaty.
The anniversary gathering was overshadowed by internal rifts, including friction between the United States and Turkey over the latter's purchasing of S-400 air defense system from Russia, and Washington's pressing of other allies for more military spending.
