1355-12-09-2008
Foreign Minister Lavrov: First of all I am grateful to my colleague Mr. Sikorski for the hospitality and the good organization and atmosphere of our talks. We are meeting in the context of the accords reached when the Polish Prime Minister, Mr. Donald Tusk, visited Russia early this year. Russia and Poland, it was then agreed, would build on pragmatic bilateral interaction in the interest of both countries and keep cooperating on European and international affairs with due regard, of course, for the differences, sometimes rather serious, that exist in our positions. That"s how we worked today. We noted that, in the last few months, a substantial livening-up of the activity of various important mechanisms had occurred that are designed to facilitate the development of our bilateral relations.
To begin with, the work of the forum of the publics of the two countries has been resumed after a four-year hiatus. We this morning met with its participants. The Commission of historians of the two countries in a renewed composition has begun to work more actively. Our meeting with its cochairman took place today. We agreed to speed up the convocation of meetings of the working groups of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade-and-Economic Cooperation so as to prepare a meeting of the Commission itself as soon as possible. We instructed our deputies to prepare the conduct at the start of the first half of next year of the fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Strategic Issues Committee, headed by the foreign ministers of both countries present here.
We also discussed relations between Russia and the EU, and questions linked to the activities of the Russia-NATO Council. This was discussed in the context of the overall European security situation and of the tendencies currently manifest in this area. Although we do not see eye to eye on all issues, we do cherish this dialogue. Russia has not changed its position with regard to the plans to deploy a third US missile defense site in Eastern Europe. We honestly and frankly said this yet again today, and explained the reasons we"re certain that these facilities in Eastern Europe simply can"t have any target other than Russia"s strategic arsenal.
That said, we perceive no threats to Russia from Poland. But we cannot fail to see the risks resulting for our security, for the security of the Russian Federation from parts of the US strategic force being brought close to our borders.
We appreciate the Polish side"s desirousness to understand our concerns. Our Polish colleagues have suggested that consultations be held to discuss transparency and confidence building measures that could help alleviate these concerns. As mutually arranged, we are awaiting concrete proposals, on whose basis those consultations could then be conducted.
In conclusion, I would like to express satisfaction with the active cooperation in the humanitarian and cultural sphere. Russian song festivals have resumed in Poland. Seasons of Polish culture are being held in Moscow. Polish Science Days are set for late October. All this is very important for our peoples to be able to communicate and understand each other better.
We have resumed the practice of presenting the joint diplomas of the Foreign Ministers of the Russian Federation and Poland. This year we have decided to award these diplomas to the two leading actors and directors Nikita Mikhalkov and Wojciech Semen.
Question: One outstanding issue still remains: the missile defense system. Not long ago Russian military officials said that if this system was installed in Poland, then an adequate response would follow from the Russian side. How can you comment on this statement?
Foreign Minister Lavrov: I have already said that we don"t see any threats coming against the Russian Federation from Poland, but we cannot ignore the fact that an integral component of US strategic systems is appearing near our borders - systems that were regulated for many decades until recently by agreements between Moscow and Washington in order to maintain parity of offensive and defensive strategic weapons. This parity has been seriously upset in recent years.
As you know, the US already withdrew from the ABM Treaty quite a while ago. At the same time it has been deploying its strategic systems in various regions of the world. The US is earnestly engaged in projects to deploy strike weapons in outer space, to which, by the way, not only Russia objects - many other countries do, including a majority of EU members. The US has approved the doctrine of so called lightning-like global strikes and is also working at full steam on a project to use non-nuclear warheads on strategic carriers. All this, of course, is impossible to ignore. It upsets the previously existing parity that used to ensure strategic stability. The third anti-missile site is part and parcel of these efforts. But of course, our military strategists simply have to consider all this in our military planning.
As you know, only a year ago the US, perceiving, as we hope, our concerns, expressed the readiness to devise transparency and confidence building measures which could alleviate these concerns. This offer was further reiterated when the two countries" presidents met at Sochi this past April. We do not refuse to examine such proposals. Although they are unlikely to make us change our minds about the role this third anti-missile site plays in the US strategic system, we certainly will not reject any confidence building measures which will allow us to get even a tiny bit of confidence that we see what"s going on with this third site. We are still awaiting concrete proposals from our US colleagues. Mr. Sikorski said today that the Polish side would also stand ready to contribute to alleviating our concerns. We"re ready for such consultations.
Question: What does the phrase mean that adequate measures will be taken should missile defenses be deployed in Poland? Deputy Chief of the General Staff Gen. Nogovitsyn has said this.
Foreign Minister Lavrov: You want what? That I would now disclose secrets of the Russian General Staff to you? I have already answered you everything and shall say once more that Poland is not a source of concern for the Russian General Staff; the source of concern is the components of the US strategic system.
Question: On Wednesday the US Senate approved a decision to allocate 89 million dollars for the stationing of an anti-missile radar station in an unnamed country. What will the actions of Russia be if Lithuania turns out to be that country, for example?
Foreign Minister Lavrov: You know this is not the first indicator that the US will most likely not limit itself to the third GMD site. There is information that a fourth GMD site is being planned and then a fifth, not only near our European borders. Naturally, we are studying all this information, we are raising these questions before our American partners. We want to understand just how much what they are telling us corresponds to the real development of events in practice. Regarding what we are going to do in this connection, I shall answer - we will do everything necessary to ensure that the rapidly crumbling global parity in strategic and offensive arms does not lead to any impairment of the security of the Russian Federation.
Question: In your interview published today in Gazeta Wyborcza, you point out that Russia has regions of privileged interests. Does this mean you"re going to hinder the entry of Georgia and Ukraine into NATO in every way possible?
Foreign Minister Lavrov: Not so long ago President Medvedev approved the Russian Federation"s foreign policy concept, and after Georgia"s aggression against South Ossetia he formulated on the basis of this concept the five principles by which Russia will abide. Among these principles it is indeed reaffirmed that with the countries and with the regions with which our country has traditional historical friendly ties - we will maintain these ties with them comprehensively.
I can also add that we have repeatedly set forth our attitude to NATO"s expansion. We are sure that there are currently no real reasons for that. In our opinion, the actions toward this end upset pan-European security; they stand in breach of the obligations that we have all assumed, particularly in the framework of the Russia-NATO Council, not to strengthen one"s security at the expense of others.
The more harmful it is for specific countries to be artificially dragged into NATO. All security issues can be tackled without any mechanical expansion of this bloc and mechanical creation of dividing lines in Europe, with the approachment of these dividing lines to Russian borders into the bargain.
Once you have mentioned Georgia, I shall say that our American partners at a very high level repeatedly tried to convince us that if suddenly the Georgian leadership decided to use force against South Ossetia or Abkhazia, then the Georgian leadership itself would scuttle its NATO membership prospects. This is simply for your information.
We see the accumulation of problems in the area of European security which NATO is not in a position to solve alone. Among those problems are, for example, abiding by the principles that were agreed upon, but are not being complied with. Those problems also include the crisis in conventional arms control and many other things.
Therefore President Medvedev suggested that, within the entire Euro-Atlantic region, a frank and honest conversation should be held on whether we continue to adhere to the principles that were previously approved. If we do, then let us see which mechanisms we lack, which mechanisms are superfluous and what needs to be done for these principles not to remain only on paper; that they would be translated into a real practical policy of all countries of the Euro-Atlantic region.
Question: What is the attitude of Russia to reports that South Ossetia desires to join the Russian Federation?
Foreign Minister Lavrov: I do not know whence your information. South Ossetia has no desire to be incorporated anywhere. South Ossetia has understood that without the declaration of independence it will not be able to ensure its security. And we have understood that without the recognition of this independence and without the Russian Federation"s protection of the people of South Ossetia it is impossible to ensure the survival of the people of South Ossetia.
There is no need to make up anything. The same Gazeta Wyborcza, where my today"s interview is placed, also carries an editorial formulating Russia"s alleged position in the talks with Poland. And this position supposedly is, we suggest Poland close its eyes to what we"re going to do in the post-Soviet space and Russia will shut its eyes to the anti-missile site. This is sheer rubbish. It"s a complete disrespect for Russia. Don"t believe all sorts of nonsense like this. When questions arise, turn to us, we are ready for conversation.
12-09-2008
http://www.mid.ru/brp_4.nsf/e78a48070f128a7b43256999005bcbb3/cd9a026910cb657bc32574c3003c69a2?OpenDocument
