Russia pushes for Euro crisis center

MOSCOW, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Russia is still pushing for the creation of a European crisis center, the Foreign Ministry announced Friday.

Russia wants to create a Europe-wide emergency situations center to cope with natural disasters like Sunday's tidal wave catastrophe in South Asia, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement quoted by the Interfax news agency.

"The latest events have come as further evidence of the need to step up international cooperation in preventing natural and industrial disasters and creating effective multilateral mechanisms to deal with their consequences," Interfax quoted the statement as saying.

"In particular, Russia's proposals on a European emergency situations center and a European aviation squadron remain in force," the Foreign Ministry statement said. "Having encountered such tragic situations, the international community has the right to use its forecast and rapid reaction capabilities to respond to natural and industrial disasters," it said.