06 October 2003 11:13
Russian and US national interests largely coincide, Putin tells newspaper
Moscow, 6 October: Russia will serve the foreign policy interests of no-one, but wants to and can be a reliable partner, in particular for the United States, Russian President Vladimir Putin has told The New York Times in an interview. "In many things, I can see how the Russian and US national interests coincide. For us, this is not a choice of tactics, to resolve some immediate issues. For us, this is a strategic choice," the president said. This choice, the head of state said, is based on several considerations. "First of all, we realize full well that strategic stability is impossible without good collaboration between the United States and Russia. And for us the United States is a highly important element of international stability," he said. In some regions, in a number of ways, we find the United States indispensable, the president said. "I have already spoken about strategic stability: the United States and Russia are still the world's two nuclear superpowers. Our interests in the fight against radicalism and terrorism coincide. We are greatly concerned by the radicalization of both some states and some regions in the world. From both the former and the latter stems our joint interest in ways to counter what I believe to be one of the most significant threats of the 21st century - nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction," Putin said. He mentioned some other points, "at first glance less important but highly relevant for the public at large - the fight against drugs and organized crime". The president said that there was mutual benefit to be derived from the development of economic relations. "One very obvious thing here is the energy sphere." Russia has an interest in the realization of its potential on world markets, while the United States - in stable prices to be maintained at an acceptable level and in the diversification of sources.
[ITAR-TASS news agency] |
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