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President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: Gentlemen,
I welcome you to Moscow and congratulate you on the beginning of your diplomatic missions. I am confident that your missions will further consolidate trust and develop equitable and mutually beneficial cooperation between our nations.
Our meeting is taking place in the year of the 65th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. Just recently, on May 9, we had a military parade on the Red Square where officers and soldiers from Russia, CIS member-states, and allied nations in the anti-Hitler coalition, marched together. This parade once again demonstrated the solidarity of peoples in guaranteeing security and safety throughout the Earth. The celebrations in Moscow symbolise the fact that the lessons of World War II must unite humankind in its fight against present-day challenges.
In the 21st century, the global community has all the necessary conditions to strengthen mechanisms for maintaining durable peace and stability on our planet, and respective steps are being taken. Not long ago, in April, a Russian-American agreement was signed in Prague on measures to further reduce and limit strategic offensive arms. Today, both sides have submitted this document for ratification. I certainly very much hope that the ratification will be completed very soon and the agreement will come into force.
Russia is also an active proponent of reshaping Europe’s security system, updating it, and modernising it in line with the security indivisibility principle. Our suggestion is to draft a treaty on improving European security which, once preliminarily agreed upon, can become a foundation for our respective joint efforts in the near future. In any event, we are certain that the successful implementation of this initiative will help improve cooperation on our continent.
”In the 21st century, the global community has all the necessary conditions to strengthen mechanisms for maintaining durable peace and stability on our planet, and respective steps are being taken. Not long ago, in April, a Russian-American agreement was signed in Prague on measures to further reduce and limit strategic offensive arms.“
Gentlemen, I’d like to say a few words about developing relations with the states you represent.
We strive to promote friendly relations with Mauritania on the basis of equality and mutual benefits. We have accumulated a rich experience of cooperation in fishing, and we are prepared to expand this experience to other promising sectors.
We have lasting traditions of friendship with the Republic of Panama, and we are interested in intensifying our political dialogue and stimulating our business, scientific and humanitarian contacts.
This September marks the 20th anniversary since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and the Republic of Korea. Today, we strive to make maximum use of the multifaceted potential of these relations and of our cooperation, especially in sectors that are currently important for the development of our nation, namely, high technologies and the innovations.
We expect that the recent deterioration of the situation on the Korean peninsula will soon be settled through peaceful means, in the interest of maintaining stability in the region and continuing the inter-Korean process.
Egypt is one of our most important partners in the Middle East. The Cairo Treaty on Strategic Partnership signed a year ago set the course for deepening the entire range of our bilateral relations. I am certain that this fully meets the long-term interests of our peoples and promotes international security.
We are also pleased by the high level of coordination in our efforts to advance the Arab-Israeli peace process. Russia will continue assisting the settlement in the region on a universally recognised international legal basis. Our principal approach to this process remains the same, namely, that it must result in an independent Palestinian state that will live peacefully side by side with Israel.
”Russia is also an active proponent of reshaping Europe’s security system, updating it, and modernising it in line with the security indivisibility principle. Our suggestion is to draft a treaty on improving European security which, once preliminarily agreed upon, can become a foundation for our respective joint efforts in the near future.“
We value our traditionally friendly relations with the Kingdom of Thailand. We are ready to develop a multidimensional partnership and cooperation, including within the framework of APEC and other regional associations. And we truly hope that the Kingdom’s domestic political issues will be resolved through peaceful dialogue.
We are interested in deepening mutually beneficial cooperation with Sudan. Along with other responsible members on the international community, we will promote the implementation of a comprehensive peace agreement and reconciliation in Darfur. We count on the outcomes of the national elections to serve as the basis for consolidating the nation’s political forces in the interests of all the Sudanese people and promoting stability in the region.
The principles of strategic partnership and alliance have been and continue to be a strong foundation for our historically close ties with Uzbekistan. The recent visit to Russia by President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov and the agreements that were signed during his visit give our relations new momentum. At the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tashkent, we intend to continue our trust-based dialogue on current issues on the bilateral and regional agenda.
Our strategic cooperation with Germany has been an important factor of the European and global stability. Our common priorities include renewing efforts to create a modern architecture for European security, the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, improving the global financial system, and resolving a range of other issues. We intend to intensify our bilateral cooperation in the economic and humanitarian spheres, to promote close interregional relations and contacts between our civil societies, to productively advance implementation of various projects that are very important for our nations. All of these issues are on the agenda for my visit to Germany, which will begin tomorrow, and for my talks with Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Gentlemen, I would like to once again wish you success in your highly important missions in Moscow. I am certain that you will do all that you can to further develop friendly relations with our country. I am also confident that you will find your Russian colleagues to be friendly, supportive, and sympathetic.
Thank you for your attention.
June 3, 2010, The Kremlin, Moscow