RIA Novosti: Russian Senior MP Says USA Cannot Disrupt Integration In Post Soviet Space

Alexei Pushkov file photo

(RIA Novosti – June 10, 2013) The USA will not be able to hinder integration processes in the post-Soviet space, chairman of the Russian State Duma’s International Affairs Committee Aleksey Pushkov has said. He was speaking at a news conference in Moscow on 10 June, as reported by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti on the same day.

Pushkov said: “I think that Mrs Hillary Clinton (who had occupied the post of US secretary of state at that time), who stated that this (integration process) means the ‘re-Sovietization’ of the post-Soviet space and promised that the USA would struggle against this with all its strength, overestimated the USA’s strength. I do no think that they will be able to disrupt this process especially since the USA has much work today – from North Korea to the Middle East.”

Furthermore, Pushkov said that missile defence was a key topic in the development of Russian-US ties.

“The missile defence topic has turned into a key moment: if we find a common language here, then it will be possible to speak about the start of new positive dynamics in Russian-US ties,” Pushkov said.

Asked about the agenda of the talks between the Russian and US leaders on the sidelines of the upcoming G8 summit, Pushkov, as reported by the Russian news agency Interfax earlier on the same day said: “Official information on what US President Barack Obama’s talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin will be about was not published. However, it could be presumed that key topics will be discussed. The situation in Syria will be in the first place and I think that the missile defence topic will be touched upon.”

He added: “It is not excluded that issues related to the ‘Magnitskiy list’ and economic cooperation would be touched upon as well since the Russian market is important for the USA.”

Comment