Russian security chief reveals US attempts to hinder international cooperation
A senior Russian security official has said that several nations had to cancel their participation in a recent security conference in Sochi and quoted US pressure as the main reason behind their decisions.
“As this event was in preparatory stages, certain nations which I will not name here said that they had experienced pressure from the US and because of that they could not participate in multilateral events, but at the same time they expressed readiness to develop bilateral cooperation,” the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, was quoted as saying by TASS.
The official was referring to the 9th International Meeting of High-Ranking Security Officials which took place in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on April 25 and 26.
He also noted that some of the officials who participated in the conference had also said that US colleagues had subjected them to pressure, but nevertheless the event gathered representatives of 118 nations, which is a record. “The pressure is present and we can feel it, but they have not achieved the result they desired,” Patrushev noted.
The Russian security chief also stated that the US and the countries that had been forced to succumb to US pressure had “isolated themselves from the opportunity to get the information that was discussed in Sochi.”
Patrushev also told reporters that all participants of the Sochi conference jointly opposed the unilateral use of force and neglect of international law in solving crises. In addition, they emphasized the importance of negotiations and the major role of the United Nations in international relations.
Last week, while speaking at a session of the Security Council, Patrushev stated that as Washington had turned more hostile and confrontational towards Russia, Moscow also needed to switch its foreign policy to a more offensive mode. Russia needs to respond to attacks to protect its core interests, he said.
The key foreign policy goals described by Patrushev range from boosting the stability of Russia’s financial system to ensuring that Russia can produce essential military and civilian products with a minimal reliance on foreign suppliers, to defending the traditional values of Russian society.
Patrushev suggested that Russia should seek engagement with nations other than the US, including those that currently follow America’s lead in confronting Russia, to find common interests.
