RIA Novosti: Moscow open to dialogue with USA, but won’t give up interests – Russia’s Lavrov

(RIA Novosti – December 9, 2014) Russia is open to dialogue with Washington, but it will not give up its interests under any circumstances, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said in an interview with RIA Novosti (part of the state-owned International News Agency Rossiya Segodnya).

“For our part, we are always open to a constructive and honest dialogue with the USA both when it comes to bilateral ties and the world arena where our countries hold responsibility for international security and stability. The question is when the USA will be ready for cooperation on the principles of real equality and taking into account Russia’s interests that we are not going to give up under any circumstances,” Lavrov said, adding that the current chill in the Russian-US relations “is not the first one ever”.

He went on to say, as cited in a separate RIA Novosti report, that despite remarks on readiness for cooperation with Moscow, Washington is acting “unfriendly” towards Russia. “Despite all the differences on Ukraine, the Americans tell us that they are willing to cooperate in resolving acute international issues and work in general on a positive agenda of relations,” Lavrov said. “These right words and calls exist in a parallel reality with Washington’s practical actions of unfriendly nature,” he said.

At the same time, Lavrov said that high-level contacts between Russia and the USA had never been disrupted. “As for high-level contacts, they have never been disrupted,” he said, adding that he has met with US Secretary of State John Kerry 16 times this year, while President Vladimir Putin met his US counterpart three times over the same period of time.