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| Russia |
| Rice, Putin seek way forward in Iraq |
| 2004-05-17 |
| U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice wrapped up her three-day visit to Moscow on Sunday saying she had fresh assurances of Russia's support for U.S. efforts to stabilize the situation in Iraq. But the two countries still remained at loggerheads over how much control the planned Iraqi caretaker government will have over security and other key issues. "I think we, the United States and Russia, share a common understanding of how we should move forward," Rice said in a Russian voice-over in a television interview aired after she completed her series of meetings with top Russian officials, including a closed-door meeting with President Vladimir Putin. In a short interview aired on NTV television's "Namedni" program Sunday, Rice said the United States and Russia had a shared interest in preventing destabilization in Iraq. She offered a generally positive assessment of U.S.-Russian relations, but was noticeably short on details. "Everyone agrees that the most important thing at the moment is to give Iraq stability and pass a UN Security Council resolution. I hope we will be able to prepare the text of this resolution with help of our Russian partners" among others, she said. Rice met with Putin on Saturday to deliver a personal letter from President George W. Bush with "general affirmation of our desire to work with them [the Russians] on Iraq and on the broader partnership," a senior U.S. diplomat told reporters Sunday. Rice also met with Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as well as Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov and chief of the presidential administration Dmitry Medvedev. While Iraq dominated Rice's visit, she discussed a wide range of other issues with Russian officials traditionally high on the agenda between the two countries -- energy cooperation, terrorism, weapons proliferation, Iran's nuclear program, developments in former Soviet republics and the Middle East, according to the U.S. diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Rice also "underscored our continued interest in democratization, the rule of law and independent media in Russia" and "a peaceful solution in Chechnya," but made no linkage to other issues in U.S.-Russian relations, the U.S. diplomat said. "It is important that democratic institutions take root and strengthen in Russia," Rice told NTV. Russian officials also chose not to probe sore spots for the Bush administration, with the scandal swirling around the torture of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. service personnel mentioned only in passing, the diplomat said. The Russians reassured Rice that Moscow will support a United Nations Security Council resolution endorsing the transition of power from U.S. administration to the planned Iraqi government on June 30, the diplomat said. He said the United States would share the text of the UN resolution with Russia as soon as it was drafted. But he declined to comment on whether Washington and Moscow saw eye to eye on how much control the new government and U.S. military commanders would have over security issues, or when and for how long international peacekeeping troops could be deployed in Iraq. Nor would the diplomat say if the two sides agreed on whether the UN resolution should be adopted before the June 30 transfer of power, or after. While Washington has said it is prepared to see an international peacekeeping force deployed in Iraq, it wants to retain overall security control after the transfer of power to an Iraqi caretaker government, which will rule until national elections are held. Russia will support the deployment of peacekeepers, but only if they are given a clear mandate and timeline, Deputy Foreign Minister Yury Fedotov said last week. Russian diplomats have also called for the Iraqi caretaker government to be given greater control, and suggested that an international conference be organized before June 30 to discuss the new government. During her Moscow visit, Rice said the United States would be interested in discussing the idea of an international forum, which Russia wants Iraqi leaders, neighboring countries and UN Security Council members to attend, but is not ready to support it outright, the U.S. diplomat said. In comments ahead of Rice's visit, Fedotov suggested that the Security Council adopt two resolutions on Iraq. The first resolution should be passed after Brahimi's announcement, while the second should be passed after consultations with members of the new government to spell out "future steps toward an Iraqi settlement," Fedotov said. But during Rice's visit, her "interlocutors" made it clear to her that Russia would not insist on passing two resolutions, rather than one, the U.S. diplomat said. Russia opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and warned that the war could lead to instability and a growth in terrorism in the country. But during their meetings with Rice, none of the Russian officials made any "I told you so" comments, the diplomat said. Instead, they displayed a "genuine desire to help us ... so Iraq will not become a long-term source of terrorism," the diplomat said. Rice also discussed with Russian officials the Middle East and recent developments in former Soviet republics, including Adzharia, Nagorny Karabakh and Transdnestr, the U.S. diplomat said. Sergei Ivanov also briefed Rice on the security situation in Uzbekistan after his recent trip to Tashkent, while Fradkov briefed her on the Russian government's ongoing economic and administrative reforms. On energy cooperation, Russian officials acknowledged that the decision to cancel ExxonMobil's operatorship of the Sakhalin-3 offshore field "remains on the table," the U.S. diplomat said. Regarding the overall U.S.-Russian energy dialogue, Rice said the results were "a little bit disappointing" as it has stalled, he said. Rice left Moscow for Berlin on Sunday for security talks with European countries, including France and Germany. The U.S. diplomat said that talks between with Russia would resume Wednesday, when Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security John Bolton is due in Moscow for two days of talks. Kremlin and government sources would only reveal the issues discussed with Rice, but offered no further details of the talks. News of a consensus on Iraq between the two sides could be revealed when Bush and Putin meet during the 60th anniversary celebrations of the D-Day landings in France on June 8, Izvestia reported. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #4 Yeah, Vladdie - What about those two hostages the cicadas have? |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-05-17 1:16:32 PM |
| #3 There's a nasty article at LGF about part of this and the UN. If we don't veto, I don't know how I'm going to vote in Nov. But I think some of our "allies" are getting their hopes up. |
| Posted by: Anonymous2U 2004-05-17 11:27:10 AM |
| #2 Rice pudding -- yummmm. |
| Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-05-17 7:54:29 AM |
| #1 As in WWII, Russia will eventually assist us in our efforts in Iraq. As in WWII, it will be in naked self-interest for their own survival. |
| Posted by: B 2004-05-17 7:11:02 AM |