Russia raps U.S. over Kosovo arms

By Dmitry Solovyov

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Moscow will meet NATO to discuss Washington's authorisation for arms supplies to Kosovo, Itar-Tass news agency quoted Russia's envoy to the alliance as saying on Thursday.

By supplying weapons to Kosovo's government, the United States was arming "former terrorists" and the move could stoke violence in the region, Tass quoted Russia's ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin as saying.

U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday authorised arms supplies to Kosovo, saying it would "strengthen the security of the United States and promote world peace", according to a document on the White House Web site.

"They (Washington) say the weapons will help fight terrorism. At the same time, it is namely former terrorists who are in power in Kosovo right now," Itar-Tass quoted Rogozin as saying in Brussels.

"How can you fight terrorism, supplying weapons to former terrorists?"

"I have addressed NATO's secretary-general with a proposal to hold an emergency meeting of the Russia-NATO council to discuss U.S. plans to supply weapons to Kosovo." He said the meeting could take place on March 28, Tass reported.

A Russian diplomat at NATO said later on Thursday the meeting within the Russia-NATO council would be "extraordinary and informal". He said it had been agreed before and brought ahead of schedule at Russia's request.

He said the meeting's agenda would focus on preparations for a Russia-NATO summit to be held in Bucharest in early April.