#5
Moscow News
May 7-13, 2003
Russia-USA: Partnership or Confrontation?
The World Russian Forum meets in Washington
By Ilya Baranikas

What is the outlook for U.S.-Russian relations? Sometimes it seems that they can only get worse although the worst may have come already. Sometimes there is an encouraging glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Russia's position is hard to understand. On one hand, Putin spurned Blair who sought to map out a way toward reconciliation between Washington and Moscow. On the other, the Russian government has at long last given the go-ahead to the building of an export oil pipeline and a deep-water terminal in Murmansk to ship oil to the United States. On April 28 through May 1, the World Russian Forum was held in Washington and New York, sponsored by, among others, the Moskovskiye Novosti weekly. What is the outcome of this year's meeting of prominent U.S. and Russian personalities? Here is what Edward Lozanski, chief organizer of the Forum and president of the Continent USA media group and of American University in Moscow, has to say on the matter:

"On the U.S. side, the post-Iraq estrangement did not make itself felt at the forum in any way: Everything was as it has been ever since 1988, when the Forum moved away from confrontation with Moscow to promoting cooperation in all spheres. Incidentally, one of the factors that in 1988 changed the character of the Forum was the publication in Moskovskiye Novosti of a manifesto by 10 prominent dissidents - authors and members of the Continent board. That was when we in America saw that free media had emerged in Russia. Generally, our Forums have been held since 1981. In 1983, one session was dedicated to Dr. Sakharov's birthday and took place in the White House rose garden with President Reagan attending. Not surprisingly, no kind words could have been said about the Kremlin at the time.

"This year we were afraid that many participants - from both Russia and the United States - would refuse to come to the Forum, and so we asked the Senate for a not very large conference hall - seating 60 to 70. Luckily, our fears were not justified. The number of participants was close to 300, and it could have been even higher had it not been for visa delays for many Russian delegates. The Senate was most helpful in providing us with a more capacious hall at the eleventh hour.

"The U.S. side was represented by high-ranking officials from the Departments of Energy and Commerce, the Pentagon, NASA, and the State Department; James Billington, director of the Library of Congress, as well as representatives of major U.S. corporations, universities, think tanks, and so forth. And of course there were many Senators and Congressmen.

"Representation on the Russian side was not quite so impressive. Nonetheless, this year, probably for the first time ever, we have felt serious support from the RF Foreign Ministry. Yuri Ushakov, the Russian ambassador to Washington, opened the Forum and gave a reception in honor of the delegates at the Russian Embassy while RF Consul General Viacheslav Pavlovsky organized a similar reception in New York.

"As far as Russian business is concerned, it was represented by the leadership of the MDM finance group, Itera Corp. President Igor Makarov, Association of Russian Banks President Garegin Tosunyan, and others. The Russoft association, an umbrella group for many high-tech companies seeking access to U.S. markets, sent a large delegation led by its President Valentin Makarov. Moscow Region Governor Boris Gromov was unable to come to Washington, but he sent an important message, expressing readiness to help American companies promote contacts with 29 ‘academic townships' in the Moscow region, especially in the IT sphere.

"The main question is what we can do for each other. My impression is that Russian foreign policy today lacks focus, to put in mildly. Here is a case in point: Within a single day, President Putin in effect welcomed the liquidation of the Saddam Hussein regime, and the pro-presidential United Russia party organized a protest demonstration outside the United States Embassy in Moscow. Add to this the statement by United Russia leader Gryzlov to the effect that its ideological platform is very close to that of the U.S. Republican Party, and you get a situation that altogether defies analysis.

"Still, I am convinced that the majority of sensible Russian politicians are aware of the urgent need to put the American-Russian relations back on the track of close cooperation and partnership. This point was well made by Ambassador Yuri Ushakov.

"America, for its part, also should deploy every effort to bring the crisis in its relationship with Russia to an early close. America needs Russia both as an ally in fighting terrorism and as an economic partner. This was the key note of many Congressmen speaking at the Forum. Some of them, incidentally, criticized the White House for failing to provide firm guarantees that Russia's economic interests in post-Saddam Iraq will be preserved."

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