MOSCOW, May 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is not wary of democratic changes in other CIS countries-when they do not run contrary to national constitutions, pointed out Sergei Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs, while addressing the State Duma, parliament's lower house.
"To choose developmental patterns and elect rulers is an essential right. Its implementation is to go within legal constitutional limits, and not be imposed from without to upset the country and its whole region's balance. That is extremely important."
To change political regimes in other countries is the last thing Russia's foreign policies are about. As for foreign relations, Russia is willing to contact whatever arrangement of political forces in other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States: "We know the people involved, and we are ready to cooperate with whatever president and government that may come to the top."
If the Commonwealth evolves into a ground for Russia-West rivalry, that will be unacceptable, and Russia's Western partners realize that point full well. "We don't want the CIS to become an arena of our rivalry with anyone. We are not after monopolizing the region-but we shall never put up with anyone else monopolizing it, either," the minister went on.
A related Russian dialogue is on with the USA and the European Union. "An approach to the CIS as scene of rivalry leads into a deadlock. Brussels is fully aware of that, as Russia-EU summitry has shown," said Lavrov.
Russia is willing to join efforts with its Western partners to settle conflicts in the region, and tackle the terror problem.
"Our Western partners have their own interests in the region, considering the proximity of Afghanistan, and the drug threat. We see their point. We understand their interest in energy resources, as well-but we want the methods they use to get their ends to be understandable, too, and for that, those methods are to be transparent," the Foreign Minister said with emphasis.
He went over to Moscow-Tbilisi relations to highlight current problems dividing Russia and Georgia. Bilateral contacts are complicated, acknowledged Lavrov. Be all that as it may, negotiations on bilateral issues are going on, and have not gone into a deadlock, he reassured.
"We are under the impression that certain people in Georgia are using those talks to whip up anti-Russian rhetoric instead of pursuing their country's national interests," the minister said.
As for Russian contacts with Ukraine, Moscow is willing to analyze Kiev's claims, provided these claims are well grounded.
The Moscow-Kiev dialogue is shifting onto the patterns of "normal routine." "We will have tense work. Our Ukrainian colleagues have got tougher on some issues than they were, and we are feeling it," Lavrov added with reference to Kiev stances on the emergent quadripartite common economic space of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus, and on the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy, stationed in Ukraine. "Ukraine has reported a number of trespasses but failed to offer whatever facts."
The Ukrainian stance on former Soviet property has also toughened, he said.
"We expect Ukraine's position to be understandable. That's what we are proceeding from. We shall see its point if there are national interests underlying the claims-but our decision-making will base on our own national interests," he emphasized.
"The countries whose close contacts with us are making progress on the basis of good-neighborly partnership have every reason to preferential treatment. Others must be ready for commerce and other economic ties with Russia to develop on market terms," warned the Foreign Minister.
Answering the question whether Russia was determined to use economic levers to pressurize the [post-Soviet] Baltic countries, Georgia and Moldova, Lavrov said: "Sanctions as such will hardly bring desired fruit. Practice has proved it in many countries.
"Economic tools should be used not to punish anyone or vent anger upon anyone, even when the wrong has really been done. Such tools are to help us pursue our interests, economic and political alike," the minister said.
