Disarmament Diplomacy

Powell-Ivanov Discuss Iran, Direction of Strategic Dialogue

In Paris on April 12, US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov held discussions to plan substantive talks on a range of security and arms control issues. At a joint press conference following the meeting, Powell noted: "We had an opening discussion on American ideas with respect to how we should move into the future concerning strategic offensive systems, defensive systems, the proper role of arms control in the strategic relationship. It was an initial discussions of some of the concepts that are coming out of the American review of strategic forces..." The tentative nature of the exchange was echoed by Ivanov, speaking to reporters in Moscow on April 13: "There are general approaches, but no meat on the bones."

Regarding the structure of the US-Russian dialogue, the Bush administration is making clear it does not intend to persist with the 'Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission', the shorthand title of the US-Russia Commission on Economic and Technological Cooperation, established by the US Vice President and Russian Prime Minister in 1995. As Powell stated at the joint press conference:

"[W]e won't replicate the Gore-Chernomyrdin model, but we will have other models. I have already spoken to members of the President's cabinet [and suggested] that they should begin dialogues with their counterparts in Russia. I think there will be a variety of contacts going back and forth that will more than make up for what some people think may have been lost with the end of the Gore-Chernomyrdin discussions."

Speaking on April 13, Powell referred to his numerous discussions with Ivanov, since becoming Secretary of State, over the contentious issue of Russian military sales to Iran:

"We are troubled by sales to Iran of various types, both weapons and technology, and every time I have met [or spoken with] with Foreign Minister Ivanov...I've had occasion to raise this... They respond...that they do have arms sales policies, just as we do, and they give us assurances that they take our concerns into consideration and its their view that they are not selling or delivering weapons or equipment that we should find troubling. We do find it troubling and we'll continue to discuss these matters. It's important for them to hear from us every time we have these meetings so that our concerns are never far from their mind in the decision-making process."

Reports: Transcript - Powell, Ivanov remarks after meeting in Paris April 12, US State Department (Washington File), April 12; Russia sees tough US talks, against 'Natocentrism', Reuters, April 13; Transcript - Powell briefing aboard aircraft following trip to Europe, US State Department (Washington File), April 16.

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