国际英语新闻：Russian president renews proposal on new European security pact

NICOSIA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday renewed his country's proposal for a new European Security Pact to replace existing security and problem-solving mechanisms in Europe.

He said the proposed new pact could be very useful, because it would help solve problems in Europe which cannot be solved otherwise.

"Europe is not only North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and is not only European Union," Medvedev said in Nicosia after talks with Cyprus President Demetris Christofias during a one-day visit to the Mediterranean island.

"There are many other countries and at times there are conflicts and problems sometimes very painful, like here in Cyprus, " he said in reference to the 1974 Turkish military intervention following a coup by Greek army officers.

Medvedev added that there are no institutions for problem solving at the time.

"Existing mechanisms in international pacts and institutions are not effective and are not binding. Security in Europe is tailored to Pacts, either NATO or the European Union or other organizations," said the Russian president through an interpreter.

He further said the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) could not be considered an effective mechanism for solving long-standing and painful problems in Europe.