West sceptical on Russian security plan for Europe

By David Brunnstrom and Ingrid Melander

CORFU, Greece (Reuters) - The West told Russia on Sunday that its proposal for a pan-Europe security pact must not undermine NATO or a continental security and human rights group.

Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyanni, after a meeting of foreign ministers of the 56-nation Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said discussion of Moscow's proposal had been "frank" -- diplomatic shorthand for sharp disagreement.

"We don't need a new structure. We have many at our disposal -- U.N., EU, OSCE, Council of Europe. We have the principles, we have the structures, let's strengthen them," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told reporters.

The ministerial meeting of the OSCE grouping European nations, the United States and Canada, took place against a backdrop of tension between the West and Russia over Georgia.

Moscow, for its part, is concerned at NATO expansion, possibly into former Soviet territory and U.S. plans for a missile shield in central Europe.

Russia sent troops into Georgia, a NATO "partner" country, last August to prevent Tbilisi retaking a rebel region. Though the U.S.-led alliance and Russia on Saturday agreed to restore formal ties frozen after the five-day war, suspicions linger.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said Cold War-era institutions like NATO are unable to ease friction in a multipolar world. "Security can be either common or illusory," his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said last week.

Medvedev's proposed Treaty on European Security would grant equal status to participating countries, rule out military alliances adopting policies detrimental to the security of the other parties, and deny any country or alliance the right to maintain peace and stability on the continent.