When asked by journalists, Mr. Lavrov said Russia was "ready to consider issuing a visa to the Dalai Lama if his trip was to be only missionary and he was not to have official contacts with regional authorities."

But, he added, he learned that the Dalai Lama had decided "not

Ads

to apply for a visa to visit Elista [the capital of Kalmykia, Russias autonomy in the North Caspian region with mainly Buddhist population]."

"We respect this decision as a decision of any foreign citizen," Mr. Lavrov said.

When speaking of the CST Foreign Ministers Council held in Moscow, he said that all the participants "stated with satisfaction that establishment of the CST as an efficient regional organization was ongoing."

The Councils chairman, Kazakh Foreign Minister Kasymzhomart Tokayev told journalists that the session had taken up the situation within the CST and intensified the fight against terrorism. "We discussed the same thing in the same tone," he emphasized. Also, the participants adopted a statement on the non-proliferation policy and discussed the plan of action to coordinate their activities in Afghanistans post-conflict restoration and issues related to the collective rapid reaction forces, he added. They adopted the organizations budget for 2005.

According to the CST statement on non-proliferation policy, the organizations member states view the Proliferation Security Initiative, which has gained broad international support, as one of the most important efforts on the part of the international community to prevent WMD proliferation.

"The organizations member states are ready to cooperate with the PSI member states and countries that support it to carry out the necessary measures to counteract WMD proliferation based on international law and national legislation," the statement reads.

Russia will "actively promote cooperation between the CST and the PSI," Mr. Lavrov pointed out at the press conference.

MOSCOW, November 12 (RIA Novosti)