RUSSIA, U.S. DISCUSS “FROZEN” CONFLICTS, BILATERAL RELATIONS
RIA Novosti, Russia
March 7 2006
WASHINGTON, March 7 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s foreign minister and
the U.S. secretary of state put on a generally united front despite
recent differences Tuesday after talks on a variety of global issues,
including the “frozen” conflicts in the former Soviet Union.
Condoleezza Rice said that she and Sergei Lavrov had discussed a
number of important issues, including the Iranian nuclear crisis,
the Middle East and the conflicts in Nagorny-Karabakh, a region in
Azerbaijan with a predominantly Armenian population, and in the
self-proclaimed republic of Abkhazia in Georgia. Both conflicts
erupted after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Rice said the United States was satisfied with relations with Russia,
although she expressed concern over what she termed were certain
negative developments in the country. Washington has often criticized
Moscow for allegedly “backsliding” on democracy and failing to observe
human rights.
Lavrov said the talks in the U.S. capital “were productive and
important for the future development of relations” between the two
countries, but added that Moscow was concerned about U.S. position
on Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization.
“The U.S. is the only country that has not reached a WTO agreement with
Russia and has not abolished the notorious Jackson-Vanik amendment,”
Lavrov said.
The Jackson-Vanik Amendment links U.S. trade benefits, known as Normal
Trade Relations (NTR), to the emigration and human rights policies
of communist or formerly communist countries.
The Russian minister said the solution of the issues that had been
discussed during the talks would largely influence the interaction
between Russia and its partners in the Group of Eight industrialized
nations.
St. Petersburg, Russia’s second city, will host the next G8 summit
in July.
“We have certain differences over the ways to pursue our goals,
but our final aims coincide, in my opinion,” Lavrov said referring
to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the fight
against international crime, drug-trafficking and terrorism, and the
development of global trade.
