08 October 2002 00:00
TRANSCRIPT OF RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV'S REMARKS AT PRESS CONFERENCE ON OUTCOME OF CIS FOREIGN MINISTERS COUNCIL MEETING, CHISINAU, OCTOBER 6, 2002
2016-07-10-2002
Foreign Minister Ivanov: The meeting of the Foreign Ministers Council of the CIS countries has just ended. It passed in a businesslike and constructive atmosphere. We managed to work productively and to reach agreement on a number of fundamental questions of further development of cooperation among the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The central theme was questions related to enhancing the efficacy of the work of the CIS bodies. We endorsed a draft Decision of the CIS Heads of State Council, which singles out a number of concrete measures aimed at raising the effectiveness and, what's particularly important, the responsibility of member states for the implementation of decisions taken in the CIS. In order to optimize the structure of the CIS bodies financed out of the common budget, it has been decided to reduce the staff number by almost a quarter from January 1, next year. This is being done without detriment to the principal areas of cooperation among member states, primarily such as the combating of terrorism, crime and illicit drug trafficking.
I think the measures worked out by us will constitute yet another step in the work of strengthening the Commonwealth and further unfolding its potential. Of course, reform of the CIS structures is not limited to the decisions which will be adopted tomorrow, this work will be continued, and we today also arranged for that. It is a question of measures to enhance the efficacy of all the CIS bodies. This is a permanent process, and it is inseparably connected with the development of our multilateral cooperation as a whole.
The most important thing we must strive for in work on the improvement of the Commonwealth is to increase the practical results of CIS activity in the interest of all the member states. The meeting has shown that this point of view is shared by all the partners.
We exchanged views on the issues of bolstering the security and defense capability of our countries, and discussed plans for practical cooperation in the struggle against international terrorism, crime and illicit drug trafficking. We have a clear understanding that it is impossible to fence oneself off from new global threats with national boundaries. They can only be fought effectively by combining our efforts. A number of important documents that regulate cooperation in these priority areas are being submitted for the approval of the presidents. It is a 2003-2004 Interstate Program of Joint Measures to Fight Crime, a Blueprint for Cooperation in Combating the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs, and a Program for Improvement of Cooperation in the Border Sphere. The meeting also agreed a Draft Decision on Appropriations for the Establishment and Development of a Unified Air Defense System in 2003.
One more stride has been made in the matter of further shaping the juridical base of the Commonwealth in the humanitarian sphere. We endorsed a number of draft agreements governing cooperation in the fields of education and culture.
The decisions taken at the Foreign Ministers Council meeting provide a good basis for the work of the Heads of Government Council and the Heads of State Council of the Commonwealth, which will be held tomorrow.
Question: You today sounded the proposal of Russia for the establishment of a CIS Interstate Security Committee. Could you comment on this proposal?
Foreign Minister Ivanov: This is a proposal which has been adopted for the start of work. By the next meeting we will already be able to have some comments from our colleagues. The main thing was that now with regard to the new challenges and threats of a transnational character we should combine efforts and create structures which would enable us to cooperate actively in the accomplishment of common tasks. That's what dictated our initiative. At the next meeting we will have the possibility to say concretely what agreements we will be able to arrive at.
Question: How in Russian politics do the efforts to strengthen the CIS and to create a common economic and customs space blend with the striving of Russia to join the WTO, with the declared striving of other CIS members to develop closer ties with the European countries and to join the European Union and with the creation of regional organizations of the GUUAM and the Eurasian Economic Community type?
Foreign Minister Ivanov: I think these are natural tendencies. You know perfectly well that the overwhelming majority of countries are members of the WTO. At the same time, many countries are developing integration structures and mechanisms in specific regions. This is not only fully allowable, but, on the contrary, it is a trend which is increasingly establishing itself in the world. Within the CIS there is understanding that all the countries have declared their intention to join the WTO and to act under the framework of the provisions which are envisaged in this organization. At the same time, without entering into contradictions with these norms, we are developing integration processes in the CIS area. This process will take a certain time. And to all the CIS states it is perfectly clear that outside the integration processes, to deal with the questions of economic and social development which face our countries is impossible. Even though objective difficulties do exist, I have no doubts that these processes will gather momentum because this is the calling of the times, it's an inevitable course of events at this stage, it's a vital requirement of all the states. Simultaneously Russia as a Eurasian state participates directly or through various mechanisms in the integration processes both in the European space and in the Asia-Pacific region. We have recently created the SCO, which also presupposes along with the solution of other questions the development of economic cooperation. So these are mutually complementary, not mutually exclusive processes. They are developing everywhere and, naturally, they must develop in the CIS space.
Question: What distinguishes the present meeting of the Heads of State from the previous ones?
Foreign Minister Ivanov: I think that a feature of the present summit, and we had been very carefully preparing for it, is precisely that tomorrow's meetings of the Councils of Heads of Government and Heads of State must adopt decisions aimed at enhancing the efficacy in the work of all the CIS bodies. This indicates, first, that the CIS is an organization needed by all its member states, and that the CIS is a living organism and requires further improvement in the interest of raising its effectiveness. And, finally, by taking these decisions, we formulate our tasks in this way for the long term. It seems to me that this is a very important stage. If you remember today, when Nicolae Dudeu was opening our meeting, he stressed that the previous meeting of the CIS Heads of State, which had been held several years ago in Chisinau, had almost called into question the future of our Commonwealth - in what direction to go. Today there is a qualitative distinction from that meeting. If there were doubts then where we would go, today we know this and are working out the appropriate mechanisms to effectively move along this road.
Question: Were international problems discussed at the meeting, in particular the situation around Iraq, and if they weren't then why?
Foreign Minister Ivanov: International problems were discussed, but in terms of the need to continue to perfect the forms of our coordination and cooperation in the international arena. We adopted a plan of appropriate measures. No specific international problems were discussed - they are not on the agenda and, taking into account the overload (we had 23 questions), individual questions were not submitted for discussion. But an informal meeting is ahead and, of course, we will be discussing topical international problems at it, and, naturally, the situation in the Persian Gulf.
Question: Will Russia be able to comply with the schedule fixed in Istanbul for the withdrawal of its forces from Transnistria?
Foreign Minister Ivanov: This question is constantly on the agenda. Recently our delegation visited Moldova and went to Transnistria. Not so long ago the dispatch of one of the trains took place. You know that the delays with withdrawal were not connected with the reluctance of the Russian side. They were connected with problems which arose locally. Now agreements exist, including with the leadership of Transnistria, and if they are implemented, then a gradual withdrawal will be done. If these agreements get frustrated, as was the case previously, not through the Russian side's fault, problems may arise. We are interested in this process going according to plan and, with due consideration for the possibilities, including technical, we are interested in its being completed.
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