16 January 2003 00:00
TRANSCRIPT OF RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV'S REMARKS AT THE JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE RESULT OF THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH ITALIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS FRANCO FRATTINI, MOSCOW, JANUARY 16, 2003
Ivanov: First of all, I would like to note that we are profoundly satisfied with the level of the relations between Russia and Italy which are marked by a constructive, frank and trusting character. It is in this atmosphere that the talk between the President of the Russian Federation and the Italian Foreign Minister and our negotiations proceeded. The Russian President stressed that he was looking forward to the visit by the Italian Prime Minister Mr. Berlusconi to Russia in early February. That visit will continue the dialogue that is a permanent dialogue between the leaders of our countries on key issues of Russian-Italian relations and topical international problems. We attach great importance to the forthcoming visit in terms of the further development and expansion of the relations between our two countries. The Russian-Italian partnership is developing successfully in many areas, in the political sphere, in the trade and economic, scientific-technical, cultural, military-technical spheres and we interact closely on the international arena. Our talks were devoted mainly to the interaction in the international arena.
We attach importance to the Italian chairmanship of the European Union in the second half of this year. The relations with the European Union is a Russian foreign policy priority. These relations have attained a high enough level and we would like not only to preserve the achieved level but to lend it a qualitatively new character. And to this end we have agreed to set up a Working Group in order to prepare specific proposals.
In the course of negotiations we have also considered the issues connected with the activities of the Russia-NATO Council and we have expressed our joint satisfaction with the concrete results of that Council. We believe that the Russia-NATO Council can become an important element of the future security architecture of the Euro-Atlantic space. We also touched upon the activities of the OSCE. In this connection I stressed that Russia does not in any way intend to fence itself off from cooperating with this organization as well as with the other European organizations as regards the further process of political settlement in Chechnya. I hope that in the near future I will be able to carry out negotiations with the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, which is now in the presidency of the OSCE, in order to work out the mutually acceptable forms of interaction with the OSCE in the interests of a political settlement of the situation in the Chechen Republic. Speaking about the interaction in all these European structures, we noted the priority importance of joint struggle with international terrorism. And we are appreciative of the Italian leadership for the clear and firm position taken during the recent terrorist act in Moscow. We believe that it is this kind of solidarity between all democratic states that can provide the basis for success in the struggle with international terrorism.
Great attention was given to the situation around Iraq. Russia favors a complete and strict implementation of all the provisions of Resolution 1441 of the UN Security Council. And we believe that on the basis of that resolution all states are obligated to provide the necessary assistance to the activity of international inspectors. It is precisely in this way that Russia is acting and it is with this purpose that now on a visit to Baghdad is the Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Alexander Saltanov.
At the same time we are concerned over the growing pressure applied to the inspectors and leaders of the inspection groups by certain quotas in Washington. Some publications as well as official documents call into question the activity of international inspectors. We believe that such a line diverges from the spirit and letter of Resolution 1441. We all, accepting unanimously Resolution 1441, undertook the commitment to provide all the necessary assistance to the international inspectors and not to pressurize them. The international community expects an objective and highly professional information from the international inspectors who represent scores of states. Our duty is to trust the inspectors, assist them, and if anyone has relevant information, provide this information so that it could be verified by the inspectors. We hope that at its meeting on January 27 the UN Security Council will hear the reports of Mr. Blix and Mr. ElBaradei and, based on these reports, decide on the further course of action for inspectors who should continue their work in Iraq.
We have agreed to maintain close contact and cooperate frankly and constructively in the interests of international peace and stability.
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