Another example of demographics: Russia, which faces a different kind of demographic stress. In the next four decades, we expect Russia­the population of Russia­to shrink by 32 million people. That means Russia will lose about a quarter of its population. To sustain its economy, Russia increasingly will have to look elsewhere for workers. Now some of them­some of them will be immigrant Russians coming from the former Soviet states, what the Russians call the near abroad. But there aren’t enough of them to make up that population loss. Others will be Chinese and non-Russians from the Caucasus, Central Asia and elsewhere, potentially aggravating Russia’s already uneasy racial and religious tensions....

Q: Hello, sir. My name is [name removed]. And I have a question. It might seem a little bit odd but I still would like you to answer it if possible. After 9/11, have you considered to work with the Russian Federation government, especially intelligence services on perhaps getting their help on how to deal with Taliban, due to the Russian's experience prior, a couple decades ago. And also, would you consider doing so, since Russia­it’s better to have Russia as a friend versus as an enemy, especially the NATO conflicts that is taking place because of the NATO’s desire to use Eastern Bloc as their border between Russia and the Western world. So I would like to know if you would consider to do so because it seems to me that that will definitely make Russia quite happy.

Gen. Hayden: I understand the question. And you notice the response to the partner and liaison question before was a macro answer rather than anything specific, and I’m afraid that’s the limits to the art form in a public location like this. Say to me that we have­there are some nations of the world with which we have very close and intimate relations but not all. In many cases­in some states­that relationship is more formal and appropriate rather than rich and enduring. And so let me just leave it at that and not try to characterize it in any more detail.

We do, however­let me just say, we’re not closed to that. And there are dialogues that do take place, and that the Russian services do host conferences to which we are invited and to which we do send analysts and we do share views in fora like that.

Q: In more academic type of setting, correct?

Gen. Hayden: Kind of a cross; maybe a brick short of analytical exchange, but maybe a brick more than just an academic exchange.