Russia 110204 Basic Political Developments
Lavrov to hold bilateral talks with Germany's Westerwelle in Munich
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Lavrov to hold bilateral talks with Germany's Westerwelle in Munichhttp://en.rian.ru/world/20110204/162445056.html Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet with his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle on Friday, during his visit to Germany for the 47th Munich Security Conference. During the talks, the two ministers will discuss the development of bilateral strategic partnership and draw up the agenda of the two countries' political dialogue in 2011, the Russian Foreign Ministry's press department said. The talks will also focus on Russian-German cooperation in the international arena, including joint initiatives in the arms reduction and non-proliferation spheres. The Iran issue, the Middle East settlement and the situation in other turbulent regions are also likely to be discussed, the press department said. The two ministers are expected to sign an inter-governmental agreement on cooperation in the cultural and information sphere. The 47th Munich Security Conference will take place between February 4 and 6. The annual gathering brings together senior figures from around the world to engage in intensive debate on current and future security challenges. MOSCOW, February 4 (RIA Novosti) Izvestiya: Causal politicshttp://rt.com/politics/press/izvestiya/security-us-conference-minister/en/ Published: 4 February, 2011, 03:36 Edited: 4 February, 2011, 05:04 Aleksandr Sobin The 47th annual Munich Security Conference opens in the Bavarian capital. A historic event is expected to take place during the conference: Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will exchange ratification instruments for the new START treaty. The chairman of the conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, sat down with the Tribune’s correspondent in Germany, Aleksandr Sobin, to discuss the focus of this year’s gathering in a special report for Izvestia. Izvestia: What do you plan to discuss this year? Wolfgang Ischinger: Mainly it will be the typical issues concerning European and international security. They include Afghanistan, Russia’s relations with NATO, and Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) defense. But new challenges will also be addressed, such as protection against cyber-attacks; the entire world witnessed a cyber-attack on the Iranian nuclear facilities. Another topic of discussion will focus on the consequences of the financial and economic crisis. I have invited World Bank President Robert Zoellick to participate in the discussion, as well as Germany’s finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, investor George Soros, and others. Izvestia: Following the Belarusian authorities’ suppression of the opposition protests, you withdrew your invitation to the Belarusian delegation. Ischinger: The Munich Conference is a private forum. Therefore, my decision is not related to the EU sanctions. I invite my guests out of accordance with the protocol rules and by far not all of the politicians are engaged in security matters. The Belarusian authorities’ actions following the election were, in my opinion, inappropriate. The country’s foreign affairs minister, Sergey Martynov, is still welcome to travel to Munich whenever he wants. But continuing a dialogue with the country which he represents, as if nothing happened, has become impossible for me. Izvestia: What are your expectations from this international forum? Ischinger: Our main goal is to create the right conditions for a constructive dialogue in an almost informal atmosphere, so that politicians can freely express their positions. Real decisions, meanwhile, will be made within the framework of the UN, NATO, the EU and so on. From the very beginning the intent was for this conference to provide politicians with reference points for the entire year. This time we will try to consolidate the results of the NATO summit in Lisbon. One topic that is especially important for Russia – ABM defense – will be discussed not only within the framework of the conference itself, but also “on the sidelines,” during the meeting of the Euro-Atlantic Security Initiative with the participation of Russian and US experts. Izvestia: The first off-site conference session in Moscow was held in the fall. At that time, you held preliminary consultations on security issues. Has this format justified itself? Ischinger: I was very happy with the results of this event and thankful to the Russian side for organizing the event. We touched upon such issues as the development of Russian-NATO relations, and the future of new joint projects. The dialogue was very constructive. One pleasant surprise was that Russia’s foreign affairs minister, Sergey Lavrov, took an active part in discussions and dedicated an entire day to the event. Izvestia: Russia is indeed focusing a lot of attention on the European ABM. Our diplomats stress that it is particularly important to transition to real cooperation. What are your thoughts on that? Ischinger: I have repeatedly stated that we cannot miss the chance to establish comprehensive cooperation. I know that the US government looks at the prospects of Russia’s deeper involvement in ABM defense with ambiguity. At the same time, Moscow has very high expectations in this sphere. Europe is practically unable to interfere in the discussion, as the anti-missile technologies belong to the US. I can only hope that the parties are able to come to a compromise that will suit everyone. Opinion
Aleksandr Rahr, German political analyst and participant in the off-site session of the Munich Security Conference in Moscow: “Now, two main themes have been announced. One is transatlantic security, in all its aspects. A very large Russian delegation was invited. Three months ago, Mr. Ischinger traveled to Moscow. Within the framework of this off-site conference, a dialogue with Russia began on the proposals that were earlier stated by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev [about cooperation on the European ABM project]. I think that this project should get not so much a military as much as a political status, because there are too many questions that focus on the military aspect. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine how information exchange will happen in the foreseeable future. Russia has its technical and military equipment, and the US has its own, while the Europeans don’t have them. But what’s important is that an agenda has finally been found that will unite everyone – anti-ballistic missile defense. And the second theme happens to be especially relevant: the Greater Middle East. We wanted to focus on Iran, but instead will talk about Egypt and the possible revolutions in North Africa. I think that many countries are afraid that if Mubarak will hold on to power it could provoke unrest in other countries. For now, the European elites have some differences. Russia is more closely aligned to the Israeli point of view, which is fear of Islamic extremists coming to power in Egypt. In Europe, there has so far been a certain feeling of euphoria in regard to these processes. Generally, we have quite an emotional reaction to everything. No one expected to suddenly see democratic changes in the Middle East akin to the Orange Revolution – this is how it is perceived in the West. There, everything is seen through the prism of democracy and human rights, so the real political aspects are often ignored. Overall, I am confident that the discussion will be very interesting and candid, as always.” Directory: gifiles -> attach attach -> British Forces – Akrioti, Greece Griffin Fighter Squadron (84 Squadron raf) MoD announced possible Typhoon and Tornado arrivals to the base France attach -> Unclassified//for official use only attach -> Adaptability Sustainment attach -> Pop-up 1 ("C" Chechnya) Header Text: Emir of the Caucasus Emirate Doku Umarov Image attach -> Russia and Islam are not Separate attach -> Chapter 13: The Northern Caucasus attach -> Russia 100209 Basic Political Developments attach -> The evolution attach -> The devolution attach -> South Korea and Brazil: Brazilian’s Plan and Korean Visit Download 228.9 Kb. Share with your friends:
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