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LAVROV: RUSSIA DOES NOT NEED NEW COLD WAR

RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, February 10 (RIA Novosti) - There are no irremediable reasons for a confrontation between Russia and the West, or between the CIS countries. The parties should merely respect each other's legitimate interests as well as those of CIS member states, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the Russian daily newspaper Izvestia.

Mr. Lavrov stressed that Moscow rejects the attempts to face the CIS countries with a fallacious choice between "Russia and the West." "We recognize their sovereign right to develop relations with the external world according to their national aspirations," he said. "But we also retain the right to maintain and promote historical economic, cultural and human ties and facilitate regional integration."

Mr. Lavrov pointed out that the current anti-Russian campaign was launched not in the interests of ideological confrontation and military-political rivalry, but to foster the dynamically developing partnership of Russia, the U.S., the EU and NATO on a wide range of problems. "The main thing is to be aware that confrontation will not solve any of the problems we face," Mr. Lavrov said.

Russia does not need another cold war, as it would only hinder the fulfilment of domestic social-economic tasks, sustainable development of the country, and its integration in global politics and economy.

Western leaders view Russia as a major partner in the war on terror, in non-proliferation, and in the settlement of regional crises. They also see it as a promising economic partner. The minister is convinced that responsible U.S. and EU politicians know that it would be madness to open another "front" of confrontation in the light of growing global threats.

"The logic of multilateral cooperation is stronger than the logic of confrontation and alienation," Mr. Lavrov said. "That's why the future belongs to it [the logic of cooperation]."