MOSCOW, June 27 (RIA Novosti) - A senior member of the upper house of Russia's parliament said Tuesday that the country needed to correct its foreign policy, echoing earlier comments by President Vladimir Putin.
Putin earlier made a series of suggestions at a Foreign Ministry session to discuss key issues in Russia's current foreign policy.
"The main idea of adjusting Russia's foreign policy, as stated by the president, is to make it correspond better to the global situation, and make it more practical and rational and more oriented to protecting the country's national interests and its citizens," said Mikhail Margelov, the head of the Federation Council's committee on international affairs.
"The president mentioned Russia's balanced participation in the solution of global problems - in other words, that all foreign activities should be backed by resource capabilities," Margelov said.
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney accused Russia last month of using its energy resources to blackmail neighboring nations, referring to Russia's January spat with Ukraine after Russia turned off natural gas deliveries over a price dispute.
Margelov said that Russia would continue to defend its own interests, and that it would continue to be guided by international law, echoing Putin's earlier comments on the need for a rethink in relations with the United States.
"Partnership between such powers as Russia and the U.S. can be built only on terms of equality and mutual respect," Putin said.
He also echoed Putin's comments on the inadmissibility of double standards and the need for equality in Russia's bilateral relations. The president had earlier quoted a Latin proverb, saying that: "The principle 'what is allowed for Jupiter is not allowed for the bull' is totally unacceptable for Russia."
Margelov noted a rise in tensions across the world, and warned that apocalyptic scenarios of a "clash of civilizations" could come true if action were not taken now.
He added that Putin's statement on Russia's intention to continue peacekeeping operations was the final word on all discussions around Russia's peacekeeping mission in the former Soviet republics.
"These activities will be carried on despite all provocations," Margelov said.
Russia has led four post-Soviet peacekeeping missions - in Tajikistan, Moldova, and two in Georgia - to help contain ethnic and other conflicts that broke out in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The mission in South Ossetia has been in the spotlight in the last few months following a series of incidents, including shootouts between Georgians and Ossetians and arrests by Georgian authorities of Russian military officers.
Margelov also said that Russia would be carrying on with its own policy on a bilateral basis in the Middle East conflict settlement, "but definitely within the framework of the Quartet of mediators," which also includes the United States, EU, and UN.
