US ready for dialogue on Iran with Russia – Clinton
Published: 07 March, 2009, 05:19
Edited: 07 February, 2010, 04:56
TAGS: Meeting, Russia, Hillary Clinton, Politics, USA
The US is ready for an open dialogue with Moscow in order to make progress on the Iranian nuclear problem, according to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The comments followed her meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Switzerland. Both sides hailed the talks as productive in resetting relations between the two countries.
Lavrov said Russia values the interest of the Obama administration in listening to the opinions of other countries in its revision of its policy on Iran.
The discussions focused on issues of mutual interest including tackling terrorism and nuclear disarmament.
Missile defense & strategic armaments
Russia’s foreign minister said that during the talks special attention was paid to the non-proliferation of arms:
“I think we can arrive both in the context of the offensive strategic weapons and missile defense.”
He added: “We spelled out the Euro-Atlantic security initiative of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Our partners heard us. We count on consultations with experts from all countries on the Euro-Atlantic space”.
'Overload' button
The talks in Geneva kicked off with a symbolic gesture as Clinton gave her counterpart a present – a button with an inscription in Russian. But instead of saying “reset” – «ÃƒÂ¿Ãµрõ÷ðóру÷úð» – as intended, the inscription in Russian said “overload” – «ÃƒÂ¿Ãµрõóру÷úð». Despite that little mistake both officials went ahead and pressed the button.
 AFP Photo / Fabrice Coffrini |
The heads of the foreign offices of the two countries also confirmed they will make every effort to reach a new agreement on strategic offensive armaments before the end of this year.
“We will do everything to sign a new agreement, because the existent treaty has grown obsolete,” Lavrov said.
“If we keep to the existing framework, armaments will be stockpiled instead of being reduced, and this is wrong, especially before the NPT Review Conference.”
And Hillary Clinton expressed hope that “this first meeting will lead to others and improve our ability to work together in a range of matters that are significant not only to us, but the world”.
“We will work constructively in areas of mutual concern – arms control non proliferation, narcotics, North Korea, Afghanistan.”
Major differences
Policy on Kosovo is one of the main differences between Moscow and Washington, according to Lavrov. “We think that the declared independence of Kosovo is unlawful,” he said.
Clinton said that Georgia was one of major points of disagreement.
Common goal – stability in Afghanistan
Stabilisation in Afghanistan is a common cause of Russia and the United States, the Russian foreign minister noted.
“We have agreed to promote the success of the Afghanistan conference chaired by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which is due in Moscow on March 27, as well as a similar conference sponsored by the United States, which will be held in Europe in late March,” he said.
07.03.2009, 00:35
1 comment
‘Lavrov & Clinton meeting marks beginning of a hard road’Russia and US will have to start from a low level of relations, said Professor Angela Stent, director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies, Georgetown University, Washington DC. |
07.03.2009, 15:27
2 comments
Iran to help US on Afghanistan?Thirty years after the Islamic Revolution Iran may once more become an American ally. All the US need to do to achieve this is to invite Tehran to an international conference on Afghanistan in March. |
There was one more little mistake: quite universally in technical world, reset buttons are never colored red. If being red they mean “Emergency stop”.
First of all I have to say that I object to politicians having "wonderful" meals together. It seems to me that they should work in a serious and sober atmosphere. They are supposed to be servants of the people doing the most serious work of taking care of the interests of the People - not having charming and delicious "wonderful meals" together - and no doubt a few delicious glasses of wine while they are about it. I really do object to politicians socialising at the expense of the People and their money. Let them sit down with proper decorum at proper tables and talk in sober and serious ways about the MOST serious problems facing the Worldl - such as millions of children dying of starvation DAILY. How dare they eat "wonderful meals" now??? Russia, the World needs you to be strong, honest and clear. Please take care not to be taken in by Rothschild, Rockerfeller, Schiff et al.
About the only fact we learned was that they had a "wonderful meal together". Clinton droned on and on, just the stuff you need when you can't fall asleep.