Ivanov: Russia Deems It Unacceptable to Install Political Regimes in Sovereign States by Force

Moscow deems it unacceptable to try and install political regimes in sovereign countries by force, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said here today, as he addressed a session of the foreign-and-defense policy council.

Commenting on the present-day situation around Iraq, Ivanov emphasized the fact that Russia, which heeded its own historic experience, didn't believe in effective democracy exports, the more so when the point at issue is the Islamic world. In his opinion, such attempts can only facilitate another war, as well as greater terrorist activity. This largely contradicts specific principles, on which the international terrorist coalition was based, Ivanov stressed.

At the same time, Ivanov noted that Russia's rejection of such attempts to install different regimes in sovereign countries was a principled issue, which had nothing to do with Russia's attitude toward any specific regime.

The future of Iraq, as well as that of the entire region, is now being decided, Ivanov went on to say. Subsequent international-security and world-order principles will depend on the settlement of this crisis, Ivanov added.

In his words, the international anti-terrorist coalition, which had emerged after September 11, 2001, combined common interests of many countries in the struggle against terrorism for the first time after the Second World war. Ivanov also asked the following questions: Will the establishment of this coalition remain a mere episode? Or will this coalition serve as a prototype of a global-security system making it possible to effectively cope with specific challenges and threats?

Iraqi developments have induced us to seriously think whether this coalition would be weakened by the current situation, or whether it will grow stronger. Moreover, we want to learn about its future, Ivanov stressed. In Ivanov's words, an effective global-security system should rely on international law and a wide-ranging international community alone; moreover, the UN should play a coordinating role in this respect.