Pentagon's deputy head on relations with Russia

US Under Secretary for Defense Douglas Feith believes that the transformation of relations with Russia is a great achievement of the US policy. He said this at the center of strategic international studies in Washington on Thursday.

The USA admits that hostility, which characterized the US-Soviet relations, has ended, Feith said and added that the USA cooperates with Russia in many spheres.

When the present administration came to power many commentators expressed concern about tension in the US-Russian relations regarding weapons control, NATO expansion and other issues. Now, they have been removed from the agenda, the high-placed Pentagon representative declared.

Since George Bush became the US President he has been interested in the Defense Department's opinion on the best way to learn the place the USA will occupy decades from now. He and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld think in strategic terms, Feith stressed.

These actions have been called transformation since the president is convinced that the Defense Department should thoroughly study the changes taking place when equipping the US troops, using them in battles and operations to support stability or deploying them throughout the world in a different way, the US Under Secretary said.