Fight against terrorism to become basis of US-Russian strategic cooperation

Fight against international terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction may become the basis of long-term strategic cooperation between the USA and Russia. Thus, Washington and Moscow may successfully interact to solve the North Korean and Iranian nuclear problems, reads a joint report by a group of US and Russian political analysts from the Carnegie Foundation in Washington and the Applied International Study Institute in Moscow.

The report was released in the US capital in connection with the forthcoming US-Russian summit due at the end of May in St.Petersburg.

At present the USA and Russia "share the perception of the threats" the two countries face, the Moscow Institute's director Vadim Razumovsky and his deputy Yuri Fedorov emphasized at the report's presentation. In the address to the Russian Federal Assembly Vladimir Putin made on May 16th these threats were defined as terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and local conflicts. Fight against these threats may become a basis for new mechanisms of the two countries' long-term interaction, they believe.

Chief expert of the Carnegie Foundation and US ex deputy energy minister Rose Gottemoeller said that in the non-proliferation sphere the USA and Russia now had an opportunity to intensify joint efforts to solve the problems aroused by the North Korean and Iranian nuclear programmes.

The report emphasizes that the USA and Russia, acting together with Japan, South Korea and China, may succeed in preventing nuclear research in North Korea, ensuring the nuclear-free status of the Korean Peninsula. The UN Security Council should also take an important part in these efforts, the analysts believe.

Uniting their efforts, the USA and Russia may also put pressure on Iran to make Iranian authorities to sign the additional protocol with the IAEA that would prevent Teheran from acquiring possibilities for full procession of nuclear fuel, the representatives of the Foundation and the Moscow Institute emphasized.