US, Russia to Discuss Improving Ties in Geneva Meeting
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The United States and the Russian Federation are reportedly planning lengthy and in-depth discussions in Geneva, starting Friday, to improve relations and strengthen bilateral efforts in a number of areas. Security in Europe, the Middle East and the far East will all be on the agenda, as will nuclear non-proliferation and negotiation with Iran to halt its nuclear program.
According to Geneva Lunch:
The Friday 6 March meeting in Geneva between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov could well enter the records as a key encounter, if US hopes for the meeting are realized. The United States and Russia have a long history of meeting on neutral territory in Geneva to discuss the state of the world and their own complex relationship.
Gordon Duguid, a spokesman for the US Dept. of State, told the press at a White House briefing on 26 February: “There have been letters between the leaders, between the foreign ministers, outlining a way forward and a positive agenda,” adding that “it is on that that we want to build, but with our eyes open about some of the differences we have”.
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The exact areas to be discussed by Clinton and Lavrov are not clear, but based on Obama administration priorities and recent political history, it is likely the two will discuss efforts at building an effective global non-proliferation regime, matters relating to European energy supplies, conflicting military priorities and issues relating to allies of each country which the other sees less favorably.
It is also likely that Secretary Clinton will raise in diplomatic terms the issue of democratic freedoms in Russia, which many critics say have been dramatically eroded in recent years, under Pres. Medvedev’s predecessor, the now-prime-minister, and former spy chief, Vladimir Putin.
The two sides may also discuss key security concerns like the Israel/Palestine conflict, Iran and North Korea. Lavrov has reportedly told the ITAR-Tass news agency that he would like the US to engage more directly with Iran and to not just support the sextet negotiations with Iran, but to participate openly in the talks and negotiate with the Iranian leadership.
Another key security concern is the long-planned US installation of a missile-based missile-defense shield in central and eastern Europe, which Russia fears is intended to place US missiles within distance of Moscow or to reduce Moscow’s sphere of influence more broadly. But the two sides are eager to make gains on reducing the threat from Cold-War-era weapons and attitudes.
Global Security Newswire reports:
U.S. President Barack Obama has indicated he favors steep reductions in the nuclear arsenals of Russia and the United States, along with nonproliferation initiatives such as ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and establishment of a replacement for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
Pres. Medvedev is quoted by AFP saying “I am counting on the new U.S. administration behaving on this question in a more creative and friendly way,” adding that he has “already received positive signals from our American colleagues. I am expecting that these signals will turn into concrete proposals”. This meeting will be the opportunity for those proposals to materialize.
If successful, the Geneva talks could be the beginning of a new, more hopeful period in US-Russian relations. Lavrov and Clinton will also both attend a regional meeting today for security, humanitarian aid and rebuilding for the Gaza Strip, where the humanitarian situation is said to be increasingly dire. Lavrov is expected to propose “additional measures on donor aid” at the meeting.
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