Oslo, Nov 8 (IANS): The government of Norway has decided to temporarily suspend its participation in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) in response to Russia's withdrawal from the pact.

Oslo condemned Russia's decision, which it said "undermined the European security architecture, which has been the cornerstone of stability in Europe since the Cold War".

The government said on Tuesday that it will continuously assess the duration of the suspension in consultation with its allies and Nordic neighbours, Xinhua news agency reported.

Russia formally withdrew from the CFE at 12 midnight Tuesday, the country's Foreign Ministry said on its website.

The CFE, originally signed in 1990 by the then NATO members and the then six Warsaw Treaty states, came into force in 1992.

The pact was aimed at establishing a balance between the two military alliances by setting limits on the quantities of weapons and military equipment that all parties were allowed to amass.