News, March 2009

US-Russia keen to reset ties, questions remain

2009-03-06 20:09:35  

    BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) --

Just one day after NATO members agreed to resume formal talks with Russia, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will meet on Friday with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Geneva, Switzerland in an effort to reset the relationship. 

    The move again signals the willingness of both sides to mend their stalemated relations. It is believed that less rivalry but more dialogue will dominate U.S.-Russia relations in the future. But tough questions still lie ahead for the pair.

    Relations between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated to a post-Cold War low due to the missile defense plans of the U.S., Russia's brief war with Georgia last August, and NATO's eastward expansion.

    Tensions have eased since Barack Obama was sworn in as U.S. President in January.

    In the first major foreign policy address by the Obama administration in Munich last month, Vice President Joe Biden delivered a strong signal to mend relations with Russia, saying "it's time to press the reset button," which was welcomed by the Kremlin.

    On Tuesday, Obama stressed that Washington needs to "reset and reboot" the U.S.-Russia relationship.

    "My hope is that we can have a constructive relationship where, based on common respect and mutual interest, we can move forward," he said.

    Of similar view, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said "it is important, because we want good relations with the USA, it was always our posture. I hope that the positive signals we're receiving from Washington will translate into agreements."

    In reference to U.S.-Russia relations, geo-political strategist, Zbigniew Brzezinski, has said that Washington needs to "introduce" Russia into a system dominated by the United States and its European allies so that it could play a constructive role instead of posing potential threats.

    On Thursday, Clinton said that Washington and Moscow "can and must cooperate" on non-proliferation, arms control, anti-terrorism, and anti-piracy efforts, and in other areas.

    "Dialogue with Russia has the potential of easing tensions and solving problems," she said.

    A significant move by Obama was that he offered a deal with Russia on Iran's weapons program.

    The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Obama sent a letter to Medvedev three weeks ago, offering a secret deal suggesting Washington would not need to proceed with the anti-missile systems in Eastern Europe, if Moscow helps stop Iran from developing nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles.

    However, the Kremlin dismissed Obama's idea that was seeking a trade-off between Iran and missile defense. Medvedev said on Tuesday that Russia would not be involved in any deal to dissuade the United States from installing the system near its borders.

    The contentious issue of missile defense remains the biggest challenge to bilateral relations. Analysts have cautioned that improper management of it might trigger another "Cuban missile crisis" in post-Cold War time.

    Other issues concerning Afghanistan, Georgia and Ukraine also pose challenges to U.S.-Russia relations.

    Medvedev said his country was keen to continue its role in the fight against extremism and in increasing cooperation with Western countries.

    The United States needs Russian help in providing alternative supply routes as the Pentagon is considering plans to nearly double the size of its military presence in Afghanistan.

    As far as Georgia and Ukraine are concerned, Clinton has reiterated Washington's support for and "firm commitment" to Georgia and Ukraine to move toward NATO membership, stressing that "we support the rights of sovereign nations to make their own decisions."

    However, Russia is concerned that NATO is trying to bring Ukraine and Georgia into the military bloc.

    It is obviously not easy for Russia to change its position on these issues as Washington is trying to bridge divisions and seek cooperation.

    Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said that if the Obama administration changes its policies toward Russia, Moscow will quickly respond.

    Clinton said "we pursue it with our eyes wide open," which carries a foreshadow of political wrestling ahead between the pair.

Clinton voices support for reenergizing NATO-Russia formal talks

2009-03-06 05:39:39  

    BRUSSELS, March 5 (Xinhua) --

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday voiced her strong support for reenergizing NATO-Russia formal talks, and underlined the principle of seeking close cooperation on issues where are common interests while acknowledging differences.

    "There are benefits to reenergize the NATO-Russia Council, just as there are potential benefits in discussion that I will begin with (Russian Foreign Minister Sergei) Lavrov tomorrow in Geneva tomorrow," said Clinton at a press conference at the conclusion of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels.

    Earlier, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer announced Thursday that foreign ministers from the military alliance's 26 members had agreed to resume formal talks with Russia as soon as possible, including a ministerial-level meeting after the NATO summit in early April.

    Clinton said that Washington and Moscow "can and must cooperate" on non-proliferation, arms control, anti-terrorism, anti-piracy efforts and some other areas, but "there are equally serious matters that we need to not stop talking to Russia."

    Stressing that the United States is willing to seek common ground wherever is possible, Clinton said that "dialogue with Russia has the potential of easing tensions and solving problems." "We pursue it with our eyes wide open."

    Clinton and Lavrov are due to meet in Geneva for the first time since she took office, to discuss a wide range of political and military issues including arms control, missile defense, and non-proliferation.

    After what she called "vigorous discussion" about Russia, Clinton said NATO allies "emerged with greater unity and purpose about how to build a constructive relationship with Russia, and a stronger consensus about our relations with emerging nations of Europe's east. "

    Clinton said that NATO allies agree that "we must find ways to cooperate constructively with Russia where we share common threats and common interests." "We also agree that we find ways to manage our differences with Russia," she added.

    Meanwhile, the U.S. top diplomat reiterated Washington's support for and "firm commitment" to Georgia and Ukraine to move toward NATO membership, stressing that "we support the rights of sovereign nations to make their own decisions."

    "I certainly emphasized that we support the rights of sovereign nations to make their own decisions ... The United States will not recognize any nation that has sphere of influence over any other nation," said Clinton.

    She promised that the United States will work with Ukraine and Georgia, along with NATO allies, to make clear that the two countries does not become the subject of "Russian intimidation or aggression."

    On the contentious issue of missile defense, Clinton defended the U.S. decision to deploy such system in Poland and the Czech Republic.

    "It has always been the American position that missile defense is primarily aimed at a nation like Iran or networks of terrorists that could obtain deliverable nuclear or conventional or biological or chemical weapons and the missiles to use that," she said.

    She stressed that "Europe has the right to defend itself against the new threats of the 21st century."

    "We have a belief in the U.S. that those threats in the future are likely to come more from the (rogue) regimes and terrorist networks ... We have to help the European friends," she said.

    Speaking of Iran's alleged nuclear program, Clinton said the task of the United States was to "dissuade them, to deter them, to prevent them from acquiring nuclear weapons which threaten Europe and Arab neighbors in the Gulf."

    "We have long offered Russia the opportunity to work with us on missile defense. We actually think that missile defense is a very important tool in our defensive arsenal for the future," she added.

    Russia has been long opposed to the U.S. missile defense plan in east Europe, threatening to counter the move by deploying a short-range missile system in Kaliningrad bordering Poland and Lithuania.

    However, Russia has said it will halt plans to install its Iskander missile system in Kaliningrad if Washington drops the deployment of the anti-missile shield in eastern Europe. 

Editor: Mu Xuequan