| The Russian United Democratic Party YABLOKO thinks that the
statement made by US President Barack Obama on abolishing
of the plans to deploy elements of the ABM system in the Eastern
Europe opens new opportunities for the Russian-American strategic
partnership.
“This is a correct decision made by President Obama, it wipes
away the issue which has been continuously producing unnecessary
tensions and makes space for constructive cooperation between
Russia and the USA in strengthening of the European security,”
that is how Sergei Mitrokhin, leader of the YABLOKO party,
commented on the US decision to abolish plans on stationing
US radar in the Czech Republic.
Sergei Mitrokhin also noted that “signs that the approach
of the new US administration as regards deployment of the
ABM system in the Eastern Europe would be rational” appeared
during President Obama’s visit to Moscow in July. Barack Obama’s
approach sharply contrasts with the position of the George
Bush Administration. “Barack Obama showed sincere interest
in rapprochment of the positions of Russia and the USA, and
the intention to understand where Russia’s interests lay and
what the attitude of the Russian society to the problem was,”
Mitrokhin stressed.
It should be noted that Sergei Mitrokhin handed to US President
a package of YABLOKO’s proposals on the urgent issues of Russian-American
relations, the ABM problem inclusive, during the meeting with
Barack Obama in Moscow on July 7. Sergei Mitrokhin also drew
the attention of the President Obama to the fact that unilateral
deployment of the US ABM system in Europe would represent
a step towards confrontation extremely harmful for “Russia’s
democracy which can not develop in a suffocative climate of
anti-Western, anti-American moods and confrontation with the
entire world”.
See also:
Position on Some Important
Strategic Issues of Russian-American Relations
SERGEI MITROKHIN’S SPEECH
AT THE MEETING WITH US PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA Key Notes
From
a joint ABM system to strategic partnership. Press Release,
July 7, 2009
Russia's
ABM Initiatives
Russia-US Relations
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