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| Putin Urges Update of Security Structure |
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Russian President Vladimir Putin called for the world's security structure to be updated, and reaffirmed relations with other countries in Moscow on Tuesday. "I am confident that we have reached a turning point, when the updating of the whole structure of global security is necessary," Putin said in his speech to Russian ambassadors who were called back from around the world. Reports said the meeting was taking place to assess Russia's place in the world and to set the country's new foreign policy goals. "If we let the inertness of former approaches carry us away, the world will be once again doomed to ineffective confrontation," Putin said. He urged diplomats to "overcome these dangerous tendencies and develop new ideas and approaches." The president also emphasized a need to assess the foreign policy of any country on the basis of principles of international law and universal standards. "We are not dividing countries of the world into those which we shall cooperate with and those which we shall confront," he said. "Our competitors on economic markets, for example, are at the same time our key partners in solving major international problems, but not all were ready to see Russia get stronger so quickly," said the president. He told the top diplomats that Moscow would not join any ultimatums undermining the authority of the UN Security Council. "We do not want to join any kind of ultimatums, which simply deadlock the situation and jeopardize the authority of the UN Security Council," the president said. Russia "is proposing concrete decisions in the domain of nonproliferation, for instance, the idea of setting up international uranium enrichment centers," he said, clearly referring to the Iranian nuclear issue. Putin said the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which mostly consists of the former Soviet republics, and NATO should cooperate in the fight against terrorism and new challenges. "We propose substantially broadening international cooperation in countering terrorism, in (countering) drug trafficking, as well as in peacekeeping operations and liquidation of consequences of natural disasters," he said. He said "such interaction is possible both on a bilateral basis and between regional organizations, for example, CSTO and NATO, and other associations." "Russia consistently advocates a more safe and democratic world order, equal access of countries and peoples to benefits of globalization. We are also for the joining of efforts of all states in the minimization of the challenges," Putin said. Talking about relations between Russia and the United Sates, Putin said bilateral relations must be based on mutual respect. "We are still to change much in the attitude toward each other. In order to have a positive character, statesmen of both countries should learn as an axiom: the partnership between the world powers like Russia and the United States can be built only on the conditions of equality and mutual respect," Putin said. He said positive results would only be achieved through joint efforts, in particular in the fight against terrorism and the settlement of several key regional problems. Putin suggested launching negotiations to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) due to expire in 2009. "We want our dialogue on the most crucial disarmament issues to be resumed. We call on our American partners to launch a negotiating process to replace the START," he added. (Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2006) |
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