Implementation of Russian and U.S. presidents’ initiatives a foreign policy priority for Russia in 2007 – foreign minister

December 20

Russia will try "to guarantee all nations discrimination-free access to modern technologies, provided they respect and strengthen non-proliferation regimes," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said when summing up the results of this year and disclosing plans for 2007 at a press conference today.

He mentioned "the January initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin on establishing international uranium enrichment centers under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency" and said that "the establishment of the first of such centers jointly with Kazakhstan at the Angarsk installation is being discussed now."

"The same applies to the proposal by U.S. President George W. Bush for the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership," he said. "The idea of combining these two initiatives was supported" by the G8 countries at their summit in Russia earlier this year. "It will be a major priority for Russia next year."

Another major objective of the Russian Foreign Ministry for next year will be "ensuring a positive change in the international situation," Lavrov said.

"Russia will side with those who accept the need to ensure collective security through concerted efforts, on the basis of understandable ‘rules of the game' that will be binding on all," the minister said.

"We will firmly oppose the re-ideologization and re-militarization of modern international relations. We must attain this goal fast, or we will risk succumbing to the inertia of confrontation. No one would benefit from that."