RIA Novosti, Russia
Jan 20 2005

EXPERT OPINION: RUSSIA AND US NOT TO COMPETE IN CIS

MOSCOW, January 20 (RIA Novosti) – Russia and the United States
should not be rivals in the the Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS), but work out some rules of the game for the region instead.
This is said in a joint report drafted by the two countries’
political analysts and unveiled on Thursday by Politika Fund
President Vyacheslav Nikonov and Carnegie Moscow Center Director
Andrew Kuchins.

“As the developments in Ukraine have shown, the former Soviet Union
is an especially complicated issue on the Russian-US relations
agenda,” the report states.

Political analysts believe that, since Russian leaders are determined
to dominate the post-Soviet environment while the United States
intends to be proactive in the region too, the drafting of a set of
rules of the game for both to adhere to is the best option Moscow and
Washington can opt for.

The experts noted that a “strategic compromise” on the issue of
Ukraine is unrealistic. The future of Ukraine is going to be shaped
“by the Ukrainians themselves, and any agreement on carving up
spheres of influence is unacceptable and unrealistic,” the report
stresses.

The authors also noted the differences between Moscow and Washington
on the “frozen conflicts” in Abkhazia, South Ossetia (both are
self-proclaimed states in the territory of Georgia), Transdniestria
(the unrecognized state in the territory of Moldova) and Nagorny
Karabakh (an Armenian-populated region of Azerbaijan).

“Russia and the United States reiterated their commitment to a
peaceful settlement of all difficulties, support of the territorial
integrity of Georgia and Moldova and reaching agreement with the
above nations on Russian military presence,” the report reads.

The U.S., the political analysts emphasized, should proceed from the
premise that no long-term agreement on Georgia and Moldova is
feasible without Russia’s full-scale involvement in crafting it.

The report mentions that in spite of the current differences, Russia
and the United States are equally interested in preventing terrorist
forces from operating in the CIS, with opportunities for Russian-US
cooperation in the field available.

At the same time, the authors underlined that the Chechnya problem
should not be approached in the same manner as are other CIS
conflicts.

“Russian-US. cooperation in resolving the Chechnya problem is
unrealistic. Russia alone can resolve the problems of the North
Caucasus while other states may be invited to participate in
reconstruction in the region when it becomes safe,” the report reads.