#11 - RW 275
Vremya MN
September 24, 2003
IGOR IVANOV: DEBATES BETWEEN "PARTNERS"
An interview with Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov
Author: Yuri Sigov
Source: Vremya MN, September 24, 2002, pp. 1-2

FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV HAS VISITED WASHINGTON TO ATTEND A MEETING OF THE CONSULTATIVE GROUP ON STRATEGIC STABILITY, COMPRISED OF RUSSIAN AND AMERICAN DEFENSE AND FOREIGN MINISTERS. THE GROUP DISCUSSED MISSILE DEFENSE, NUCLEAR ARMS NONPROLIFERATION, AND REGIONAL CONFLICTS, INCLUDING GEORGIA AND IRAQ. [from WPS Monitoring Agency, www.wps.ru/e_index.html]

Question: Are we "strategic partners" with the United States, or will our foreign policy promote Russia's interests first and foremost?

Igor Ivanov: I'm convinced that partnership relations between Russia and the United States still exist and will develop. We have a approached a more serious level of partnership that enables Russia and the United States to tackle new problems together, including dangerous regional conflicts. Our contacts are growing, as the talks in Washington confirm.

Question: The joint war on international terrorism has not by any chance pushed all other spheres of cooperation into the background?

Igor Ivanov: The war on international terrorism is a priority indeed. It is this war that made Russia and the United States allies again for the first time after World War II.

In Washington I attended a meeting of the consultative group on strategic stability, comprised of Russian and American defense and foreign ministers. We discussed missile defense, nuclear arms nonproliferation, and regional conflicts.

Question: It is common knowledge that the major Russian-US discord is over Iraq. Has any progress been made?

Igor Ivanov: In my view, we understand each other much better after our meeting with US President George W. Bush. Russia resolutely supports the nuclear arms nonproliferation regime. UN weapons inspectors will return to Baghdad unconditionally, we've accomplished that much. They can get back to work now and tell the international community whether Iraq retains programs for producing weapons of mass destruction. In our view, the inspectors should return to Iraq as soon as possible, and the UN Security Council should see to it that they encounter no obstacles.

Question: Washington considers that another UN resolution is needed to enable the United States to strike at Iraq if necessary.

Igor Ivanov: If the international community works together, it will be able to get Iraq to give its consent to control over arms programs and to many other things. In our view, we should concentrate on implementation of the existing UN resolutions. More resolutions would only make the situation all the more complicated.

Question: The United States still doesn't think Saddam Hussein will permit UN inspectors to work. Do you think the inspections are an effective method?

Igor Ivanov: UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in December 1998 after almost 7,000 inspections of missile, nuclear, and chemical facilities. Only the question of biological weapons remains unanswered.

Hans Blix, leader of the UN inspection team, and representatives of Iraq will meet on September 30. Purely technical matters will be discussed. If everything is all right, UN inspectors may set out for Iraq by October 15. They will make their report then enabling the international community to decide whether or not any new decisions with regard to Iraq are needed.

Question: Georgia is one of the priorities for Moscow. What does the United States think about Russia's concerns over the Pankisi Gorge?

Igor Ivanov: The "strategic four" did discuss the situation on the Russian-Georgian border. Russia has evidence and documents in its possession. They prove contacts between representatives of the Georgian government and the terrorists and guerrillas. We supplied documentary evidence about the threat these terrorists pose. On the other hand, in the course of the consultations we reiterated Russia's respect for Georgia's territorial integrity and its willingness to develop neighborly relations with Georgia. If Georgia deals with the terrorists all on its own, Russia will not need to take any extraordinary measures.

If that never happens, however - and if terrorists in Georgia continue to present a threat to Russia - Moscow will be forced to invoke Article 51 of the UN Charter, pertaining to every sovereign nation's right to self-defense.

Question: What other international issues may be successfully negotiated within the framework of Russian-US cooperation?

Igor Ivanov: We discussed the Mideast crisis settlement. Unfortunately, more acts of terrorism have taken place over there, complicating our job enormously. The United States and Russia should do everything we can to preserve peace processes in the region and direct settlement into diplomatic channels again.

We agreed in Washington that the next meeting of the Russian-US "strategic four" would take place in Moscow in 2003. As for the presidents of Russia and the United States, they will meet in Los Cabos, Mexico, in late October.

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