Moscow and Washington are ready for trade-off. Yet, they see it differently. Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Photo: AP
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Wide Circle of Concessions
// The U.S. is ready to ignore Russia’s problems in return for support in Iran issue
Foreign ministers of G-8 countries met in Moscow yesterday. The final resolution adopted by the ministers showed that Western partners of Russia decided not to offend Moscow and not to discuss sore issues like Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria, and Belarus during the summit. Instead, issues important for the U.S. will be discussed, and here Washington will demand reciprocal courtesy from Moscow.
Ministers make jokes
The beginning of final press conference of ministers made journalists afraid. Only Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov came out to journalists. He rapidly said the meeting went well, and that ministers adopted a resolution which would later be distributed. He said other ministers will not attend the press conference, and that they delegated powers to their Russian counterpart. Having said all this quickly, Lavrov pretended he was already going away. It turned out he made a joke. While Russian journalists were laughing, the ministers were taking their seats.
Then the final result of ministers’ meeting was presented to journalists—the joint statement, a thick seven-page document which enumerates major issues of international politics to become the summit’s priority. After the document was read out, it became clear that G-8 ministers really needn’t have come to the press conference—Sergey Lavrov would have managed it without them. His counterparts yielded to all demands of Russia, and minimized the number of issues which could trouble Russia.
The joint statement says that leading industrial powers of the world are concerned about the following areas: Iran, African countries, Israel-Palestine, West Balkans, North Korea, Afghanistan, Middle East and northern Africa as a whole, Iraq, Sudan, Nagorny Karabakh, northern Uganda, Haiti, East Timor, and others. Several paragraphs of the document were devoted to each area. Under the entry “Other issues” are topics which did not get on the priority list, and which will apparently be discussed only after the ministers solve the crisis on Haiti and in northern Uganda. Among these unimportant “other” issues are Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria, and Belarus. Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter MacKay said at the final press conference that issues of democracy in Belarus, situation in Georgia and Moldova were discussed during the meeting of -8 ministers. “We had an open frank discussion on Belarus, we touched on Moldova and Georgia. It was not a provocation. It was a regular discussion between countries which share common values. everything was positive,” concluded MacKay.
Such order of priorities means that G-8 members decided not to offend Russia, being its guests. Yet, Sergey Lavrov made it clear that Moscow is ready to get offended any moment. During the press conference, one of the journalists asked German Minister of Foreign Affairs Walter Steinmeier to comment on what he said about Kremlin’s political line in his interview to Kommersant the other day. Steinmeier said Germany will continue discussing democratic reforms in Russia with Russian government. This issue arose keen interest of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. “It is no secret that the U.S. and other countries are concerned about Russia’s transition to democracy. We are worried about the status of NGOs, of the press,” said Rice, adding these issues will be always mentioned in talks with Moscow, but “with the sense of respect to Russia and its successes.” To sugar the pill, Rice decided to praise Russian authorities, recalling her first visit to USSR in 1979, and saying she noticed great changes in Russia since then.
By the way, Sergey Lavrov emphasized the situation in Russia was not discussed during G-8 ministers’ meeting.
Trade-off
Moscow and Washington approach the upcoming G-8 summit with absolutely different demands, but with a readiness to pursue them by same methods. Both Kremlin and White House are ready to bargain. Yet, Russia and the U.S. see the objects of exchange differently. The U.S. showed yesterday it is ready to make certain concessions, namely not to touch Moscow’s sore issues during the summit. These issues are, in fact, enumerated in the final resolution of G-8 ministers. The first priority is Iran which troubles Washington most. G-8 foreign ministers yesterday asked Tehran to hurry with their answer to the offers of world community, according to Washington’s wish. The main objective of Condoleezza Rice and George W. Bush is to persuade Moscow to support the U.S. in its conflict with Iran, in exchange for softening US criticism of democracy in Russia. Washington believes such arrangement is quite natural, and such bargain is fair. Russia has a somewhat different point of view.
Kremlin thinks the U.S. demands too much without offering anything in return. Moreover, this situation makes Russian government offended and angry. So, high-placed Kremlin officials sound more resentful when speaking of the U.S.
Kommersant learned that many unexpected difficulties arose during preparation of Condoleezza Rice’s visit to Moscow to attend the meeting of G-8 ministers. US officials took it for granted that Vladimir Putin would receive Rice. Kremlin, on the contrary, avoided mentioning it, challenging the necessity of Putin-Rice meeting. This way Moscow showed it will not have the conditions offered by the U.S.
During few last weeks, Russian authorities have made it clear several times how they see the bargain with the U.S. Both President Vladimir Putin and his aide Igor Shuvalov said the protocol of coordinating US-Russia positions on Russia’s entry to WTO could have been signed before the G-8. When Vladimir Putin met with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, he said Russia wants to be treated only as an equal partner.
Putin met Rice behind closed doors yesterday. Journalists were not told about the meeting, and no announcements were made about its results. President’s Advisor Sergey Prihodko said: “We expect a serious sign for further strengthening of US-Russia partnership both in a two-sided way and in the interests of reinforcing strategic stability on the whole, and settling major regional conflicts”. In other words, Rice and Putin told each other they are ready for trade-off only. Should there be no “serious signs”, Washington will be ready to resume sharp criticism, and Moscow will be ready to get offended.
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Iran responds to G-8
Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Manuchehr Mottaki said yesterday evening that his country will officially reply to international offers to settle its nuclear issue only in August, but not in early July as g-8 foreign ministers yesterday demanded. “The reply will come in August, but I cannot say whether in early or mid-August,” said Mottaki during yesterday’s press conference in UN headquarters. So he repeated President Mahmud Ahmadi-Nejad’s statement that Tehran will answer to the offer of six international mediators on settling Iran’s nuclear problem by August 22. “We shall consider the offers by the end of Iranian month of Mordad (July 22—August 21) and will announce our decision at Allah’s will,” said Ahmadi-Nejad. Foreign ministers of Russia, the U.S., China, Great Britain, Germany, and France met in Vienna as early as June 1. They adopted a package of offers stipulating the agreement of Iran to suspend uranium-enrichment works in exchange for economic and political concessions to Tehran.
Mikhail Zygar
All the Article in Russian as of June 30, 2006
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