Russia and Central Asia News Digest
Russian Foreign Minister Begins Asia Tour: Overcoming 'Negative Tendencies' with Pakistan
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri announced June 15, following their meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, that they would "leave behind the negative tendencies and develop multi-faceted bilateral relations for the their mutual benefit," the IRNA News Agency reported. According to IRNA, "The Russian Foreign Minister said Russia supports the moves for resumption of dialogue between Pakistan and India and would be ready to support the peace moves if requested by both countries.... He said Russia considers Pakistan as one of the most influential powers in international and regional processes, which is at the junction of the Middle East, South Asia, and Central Asia. His country is prepared to develop mutually beneficial relations with Pakistan at all levels."
Russia announced that it would participate in the expansion of the Pakistani Steel Mills. More broadly, it would appear that, in light of the moves toward the Eurasian Land-Bridge by many nations in Asia, Russia is attempting, through its foreign policy, to reduce or eliminate the conflict between Pakistan and India. This improves the geometry for the Land-Bridge.
Russia and India Confer on International Security
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, who stopped over for a day in Delhi on his way to Phnom Penh to attend the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting, said "Russia welcomes the efforts to cut and neutralize the activities of terrorist organizations," and urged Pakistan to seize the opportunity for establishing peace in South Asia.
"Our fight for India's fight against terrorism is well known.... We know the Pakistanis have taken measures, but as our Indian friends say we need to see more action on the ground than statements," Ivanov said at press conference in Delhi jointly held with the Indian External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko had said that Russia and India "advocated the construction of a multipolar democratic world and the formation of a new international security system with the United Nations in the central role." Another Foreign Ministry official in Ivanov's delegation, Director for South and Southwest Asia Gleb Ivashentov, spoke at a June 17 meeting with Indian industrialists in Mumbai (Bombay). Press Trust of India reported Ivashentov's emphasis on the potential for a China-India-Russia triangle to give rise to a multipolar world, for more development and constructive programs.
Indian PM Vajpayee and Russian President Putin will hold a summit in Moscow in November. PTI reported on June 18, "Russia has a special place in India's foreign policy and we intend to further strengthen time-tested relations between our two countries. With this aim in mind, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is scheduled to travel to Moscow in November for talks with President Putin." The summit was announced by Indian Ambassador to Russia Krishnan Raghunath.
"Both India and Russia are facing the problem of international terrorism, extremism, and ethnic separatism. This is the main cause of proximity of the stands of the two nations on the issues of national and international policy and security, including the North Korean nuclear issue," Raghunath said.
Russian Foreign Minister Promotes 'Strategic Triangle'
Moving on to the ASEAN Regional Forum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on June 18, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov continued his country's emphasis on "trilateral interaction" with India and China as a factor of global stability. He made his remarks while speaking on Russian television from the Phnom Penh meeting.
"We welcome the intensification of dialogue between India and China," Ivanov said. "Mr. Vajpayee's visit [to China on June 22-27] is an important event, because it reflects the tendency towards the expansion of contacts among countries in our region." He also said that he hoped that Vajpayee's visit to Beijing would strengthen relations among the Russia-India-China triangle. Russia also gives high priority to strengthening partnership with China, Ivanov said.
Russia, India, and China have "very close views on most key issues, such as the UN Charter, international law, commitment to resolving international problems through political dialogue, and establishment of a multilateral and just world order," Ivanov told Russian television. "Trilateral interaction is important for global stability. Dialogue among Beijing, Delhi, and Moscow will be carried forward."
There were bilateral Russia-China and China-India consultations between the relevant foreign ministers, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Forum. All three nations also indicated that they will join ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, and will become the first non-ASEAN countries to do this.
Thailand, Russia Strengthen Ties
Thailand is looking to energize its relations with the Russian Federation through a series of initiatives ahead of an historic state visit by President Vladimir Putin later this year, the Bangkok Post reported June 19. President Putin will make a state visit on the eve of the APEC summit, to be held in Bangkok in October. The trip will be the highest-level visit by a Russian leader since 1890, when then-Crown Prince Nicholas II visited the Kingdom of Thailand. Thailand considered King Rama IV's visit to Russia in July 1897 a landmark of diplomatic relations.
The state visit will pick up on talks held in Moscow during Prime Minister Thaksin's visit last year. Those discussions included plans to boost two-way trade to an annual target of U.S.$1.7 billion from the current $650 million, he said. Russia could also become an alternative supplier of military weapons to Thailand, following similar moves by Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Laos. In this regard, a Thai Foreign Ministry-organized conference concluded that enhancing bilateral ties with Russia would "help balance major power influences in the region, and build stronger ties between Russia and ASEAN."
EBRD Credits for Russian Infrastructure on Agenda at St. Petersburg Forum
Jean Lemierre, president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), was a featured guest at the VII St. Petersburg Economic Forum, which opened last week with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov and Economics Minister German Gref in attendance. Russian wires services reported that a modest EBRD credit to the regional power utility, Lenergo, was finalized: 40 million euro to upgrade generating capacity for St. Petersburg.
Based on a seminar on freight, held before the Forum, Russian Deputy Minister of Transport Boris Novoseltsev told RBC that $1 billion in EBRD credit for infrastructure projects in Russia was on the table. Among the projects are the Chita-Khabarovsk highway completion, the last segment needed to make the Russian major road system reach all the way across the country; and, improvements in nearly century-old inland waterways between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.
Putin Endorses Bush's Actions Concerning Road Map
Speaking at a press conference on June 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia had been fully apprised and consulted about U.S. actions in the framework of the "Road Map" for Middle East Peace, as had the key European nations. The following exchange was transcribed by Federal News Service.
Al Jazeera TV channel: "Mr. President, recently in Petersburg at a joint press conference between you and George Bush, it was announced that there would be greater coordination with the aim of solving key world problems. Since then, the Americans independently arranged a summit in Egypt, and then in Jordan, to solve the problem between the Palestinians and the Israelis, bypassing Russia, the European Union, and the UN. My first question is: What do you think about this manner of action? Secondly, what is your vision of the solution of this conflict?"
Putin: "First of all, I would like to say that I do not believe that the actions of President Bush over the Middle East have any unconstructive elements about them. As you know, President Bush flew to Egypt after the [G-8] meeting in Evian [France], where we discussed in detail Middle East problems, the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and not only on a bilateral level, but also on a multilateral level.
"President Bush told all participants in the Evian meetings about his position in great detail. In turn, they, in my presence, I can confirm this as a participant in that meeting, each of them stated his own position. Judging from what I know about the discussion in Egypt and Jordan, the American side took into account our common position....
"Second, we constantly coordinate our positions at the level of foreign ministers. All the time. Russia is taking an active part in this process. I must tell you that there are some nuances both in the position of Russia and in the position of the U.S., in the position of the EU. For example, we thought and continue to think that the role and importance of Chairman Arafat cannot be ignored in the settlement process. This is an influential person, and very many people in the region look to him. I think it would be a mistake not to take this factor into account.
"But as far as cardinal aspects of the settlement are concerned, our position and the position of the U.S. coincide. We jointly developed the so-called 'road map,' and we advocate its implementation both by Israel and Palestine. As you probably know, I recently met with the leaders of international Jewish organizations in Russia. I had a telephone conversation with Premier Sharon. I talked on the phone with Abbas. And I talked with Chairman Arafat. We maintain constant contact and conduct consultations.
"This is a very complicated issue, and it is not for me to explain to you, because I think you are more of an expert than I am on the question of a Middle East settlement. As to how this can be accomplished, as to how this problem can be resolved, there is only one roadthe road of compromises, and also the obligatory accommodation of the vital interests of all those who live on that land."
No Ultimatums to Iran, Says Russia
Although Russian officials joined other countries in trying to persuade Iran to sign a stiffer nuclear protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), they are rejecting any IAEA dictate. The New York Times reported June 18 that the Russian Ambassador to the IAEA, Grigory V. Berdennikov, in response to a U.S. proposal that the IAEA pass a resolution demanding Iran sign the agreement, said, "We think this is not the time to use such an extraordinary step. It is clear there is some cooperationmaybe not 100%. We should encourage cooperation, not turn to confrontation." (For more, see ASIA NEWS DIGEST.)
Russia Will Not Send Troops to Iraq
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told India's Defense Minister George Fernandes, during his June 16 stopover in New Delhi, that Russia is concerned about the ramifications of India sending in troops to maintain peace in Iraq outside of the UN umbrella. "It is the sovereign right of any country to decide whether to send troops to Iraq, but I can say quite categorically that Russia was not planning to send any soldiers there," said Ivanov.
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