Tuesday, 12 February 2008
The Russian speech we didn't hear about <http://indyblogs.typepad.com/openhouse/2007/06/the-open-house.html> By Mary Dejevsky There can be different interpretations of Vladimir Putin’s talk of a new arms race last week. But a speech given by the country’s most senior security official at the weekend was an unambiguous attempt to play “good cop” to Putin’s “bad cop”. Sergei Ivanov, defence minister until he was promoted to first deputy prime minister last year, told an international audience in Munich that his country had no intention of establishing new military blocs or behaving in a confrontational manner and would concentrate for the foreseeable future on improving the living standards of ordinary Russians. Several other aspects of Ivanov’s speech deserved notice. He made a point of speaking in (excellent) English - out of respect, he said, for his international audience. He diverted from his prepared text to stress that Russia would not switch off anyone’s energy supplies for political reasons: contracts were purely commercial. "Partners can rest assured that Russia has been strictly fulfilling and will continue to fulfil all its commitments regarding energy supplies." He denied that Russia was moving back to a state command economy: "Our goal is not just the mixed economy, but ensuring a close interaction between its two sectors - state and private, with the eventual shift of the balance towards the latter." He said that a new regulatory system for foreign investment was being devised that would enshrine this. He trod softly on Kosovo, saying that Russia would not be “more Serbian than the Serbs”, suggesting that any deal acceptable to Serbia would not be blocked by Russia. Ivanov has long been seen as a Putin ally, with a similar background in St Petersburg and the Soviet security services. Until recently, he was also considered Putin’s likely successor. It is not clear what his position will be when, as is now a foregone conclusion, Dmitry Medvedev, is elected President next month. But the authority with which he spoke at Munich of Russia's long-term policy plans, suggests a prominent role in the next administration – and a less threatening Russia looking out on the world. Posted at 12:28 PM in <http://blogs.independent.co.uk/openhouse/mary_dejevsky/index.html> Mary Dejevsky | <http://blogs.independent.co.uk/openhouse/2008/02/the-russian-spe.html> Permalink
