Russian-US presidential meeting 'substantial, productive' - senior MP
RIA-Novosti
Moscow, 6 July: The head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Konstantin Kosachev, considers the meeting between Russian and US presidents Dmitriy Medvedev and Barack Obama comprehensive, substantial and productive.
"The conversation between the two world leaders went according to the optimistic scenario, and several concrete agreements were reached," Kosachev told RIA Novosti on Monday (6 July).
Speaking about preparations for a new treaty on strategic offensive weapons, Kosachev noted that there are already several concrete parameters which will be a guideline for the negotiators in this sphere.
He also considers the acknowledgement of the interdependence between offensive and defensive weapons to be extremely important.
The parliamentarian also noted that, talking about defensive weapons, "you can indirectly be talking about the missile defence system (ABM)".
"It is clear that not all the issues surrounding ABM have been settled, but we have additional time and opportunities to move towards a mutually acceptable solution regarding missile defence systems," said Kosachev.
He also noted the importance of the document signed as part of the talks on the transit of US military cargo to Afghanistan through Russian territory and on cooperation between Russia and the USA in this operation.
According to the deputy, through the creation of a Russian-US presidential commission, which the two sides also agreed upon, the infrastructure of future dialogue between the two countries is being established.
"This is also very important, because without any infrastructure there would not be any agreements," he said.
Commenting on the first day of the talks, Kosachev noted that both sides are now trying to introduce actual content into the term "resetting".
"We are moving from disagreement in some areas towards the groundwork for concrete agreements," he said.
Kosachev expressed satisfaction with the efforts that the current American administration has been making to mend the dialogue with Russia.
He noted that if Republican candidate John McCain had won the US presidential election, "today's meeting might not have taken place".
Kosachev also thinks the second day of talks, during which issues of trade and economic, and scientific and technological cooperation will be discussed, is very important.
He noted the high importance of the themes being discussed and stressed that cooperation between Russia and the USA "should not be restricted merely to security issues".
(According to corporate-owned Russian news agency Interfax, in Kosachev's view "the results of the first day of work exceeded all expectations". He also noted the importance of good personal relations between the two presidents, saying that "we could see that relations of trust are developing between the presidents, along with a willingness to find mutually acceptable compromises on many important issues". Speaking about lingering disagreements over ABM, Kosachev was quoted as saying that "judging by the statements of the two presidents, their view of the joint challenges and threats has become much closer".
Russian state news agency ITAR-TASS quoted Kosachev talking about ABM, and saying that "there are still more disagreements here, but it is now good that there is no striving to present the other side with a fait accompli". Kosachev was also pleased that "we are stopping the exchange of mutual grievances and are working on issues which unite us".)
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