The Prague Post Online: News: Tough talk

September 7th, 2008

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Tough talk

In an exclusive interview, Moscow's man takes on missile defense, energy and the media

By Jeffrey White
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
February 28th, 2007 issue

KURT VINION/THE PRAGUE POST

Speaking at the Russian Embassy, Fedotov says the U.S. should consider the "future consequences" of its actions in Europe.

Russia’s shadow still looms over the Czech Republic, almost 18 years since the country broke away from the Soviet Eastern bloc.

Czechs depend on Russia for more than 60 percent of their oil and natural gas. Trade has been steadily increasing — though Czechs still import far more from Russia than they export to Russia. The study of the Russian language is up nationwide. So is tourism between the two countries.

KURT VINION/THE PRAGUE POST

Fedotov says relations between Prague and Moscow have been steadily improving in recent years.

But tensions persist, not least over the Czech government’s apparent willingness to host a radar station as part of the United States’ missile-defense shield, which might include corresponding anti-ballistic missiles in Poland. Russia recently warned the Czech Republic, Poland and the United States that they were on the verge of starting a new cold war.

Alexey Fedotov, Moscow’s ambassador to Prague, is in the middle of all this: charged with maintaining the two countries’ bilateral relations even as the Czech Republic makes moves to distance itself from Russia.

During an hour-long interview with The Prague Post, Fedotov discussed the social and economic ties between Russia and the Czech Republic, before taking on the two issues at the forefront of relations at the moment: energy and missiles.

In his words

On whether Russia views former Soviet states differently than other EU members:"With some countries, we have longer traditions of cooperation, in a human context, in cultural interactions, and so on. Looking at this point, from the length of history of our relations, we can say maybe that with [certain countries] we are closer ... because we have many things in common in history ... a difficult history sometimes, a very complicated, tragic history, but in any case many things in common."
On the fact that Czechs buy more Russian goods than vice versa: "We understand that imbalances in trade create problems for both sides. That's why we're working very hard together to improve the situation. We have managed to provide growth in Czech exports to Russia at a level of 3540 percent annually. The rate of our exports growth [to the Czech Republic] is lower. ... However, we can give many examples of where trade is not balanced and nothing tragic happens."
On the work climate for Russians in the Czech Republic: "The number of Russian workers in the Czech Republic is not so high. We have 11,000 or 12,000 citizens here. All of them are legal. We have no problems with illegal immigration. The majority work in offices, in factories as engineers, in universities. No one is sweeping streets or laying brick."
On relations with U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic Richard Graber:"We communicate. We talked last time at one of the receptions, but we did not have special talks. We discussed several things connected with the Russian-American dialogue. Our relations are very good."
On Russian objections to a proposed U.S. anti-missile defense base in Eastern Europe: "It is very serious, and it breaks the strategic balance that now exists in Europe. ... [It] is threatening the confidence that was existing between Russia, the U.S., Poland and the Czech Republic."
On the importance of international law: "[International law] is very easy to violate or neglect, but then you will be unable to prove anything, anywhere. We should obey international law. As soon as you create a precedent, you should expect very serious consequences."

The Prague Post: As you know, the Czech Republic gets the majority of its energy from Russia. So, with price controversies, like we saw in January between Russia and Belarus, supply is disrupted farther down the pipeline, in countries such as the Czech Republic. What can be done to make Czechs less worried about these disruptions?

Alexey Fedotov: First of all, when we use the term “disruptions,” I think we should talk about very concrete things. I don’t think any serious disruptions took place. It was, I think, “disruptions” in some newspapers and news agencies.

TPP: The media made it worse?

AF: Yes, sometimes they exaggerate. I think Czechs don’t feel anything when we have these disputes with Ukraine and Belarus, first of all. We delivered our supplies without interruptions. Practically everything was guaranteed. And when we had this dispute with Ukraine about gas supplies … the gas that was received by the Czech Republic came from Slovakia, and it was at full pressure, so practically no interruptions.

How to guarantee? I think we have mutual interests because we are very much interdependent. For us, any problem on the oil or gas market means we will have a great problem in our national economy. That is why we do our utmost to negotiate with the countries that are consuming [our] gas and oil, as well as the countries that are so-called transit countries.

TPP: U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said recently that there is concern about Russia’s “temptation to use energy resources as political coercion.” Is energy Russia’s main point of leverage?

AF: No, of course not. I think this energy factor is a great point of vulnerability [for us] because we are so dependent on prices, we are so dependent on consumers, we are so dependent on countries transiting all this stuff, you know?

Russia has this advantage — of course it’s an advantage, but it’s a natural resource as well as a geopolitical situation. The fact that the United States is an island can be seen as a great advantage, which is used in such and such purposes, maybe to suggest warfare or some decision that are not suitable for this continent.

TPP: The media rarely talk about Russia’s vulnerability regarding its gas and oil reserves. Does Russia get a fair shake in the media? Or do media put a bad face on things?

AF: I think this is a very serious question, about the role of the media, about professionalism and the importance of ethics in journalism. We could feel from [the media’s] interpretation of the events that are taking place, not only regarding these disputes involving oil and gas, that the mass media … are still very ideological. Although the Cold War is over, and the socialist system is over, they are still ideological. I think sometimes my people and our mass media are more democratic. They are looking and seeing the world more widely and more independently.

TPP: Than Western media?

AF: Yes, than Western media. What I read mostly in mass media in Western countries, especially when reading about Litvinenko [the ex-KGB spy killed last year in London], you know, I can’t choose the appropriate word. The coverage is not only irresponsible, it’s provocative. It’s aggressive and provocative.

Everything is so interconnected and interaction is so big and so wide that all of us should be very cautious. And we can switch, when we talk about cautious behavior, to the questions of missiles.

I would like to draw your attention to [German Foreign Affairs Minister Frank-Walter] Steinmeier’s recent comments.

TPP: He criticized the U.S. for not consulting Russia about its plans for a missile base in Poland and a radar base here.

AF: If you do something in the neighborhood, just ask the neighbors. That’s all. Just tell them. And if you are creating a shield, ask everybody who is going to be behind the shield what the shield means and whether they might be interested to participate in the constructing of this shield. Let’s define together what is this threat, what is the reason. Otherwise you have all the chances to destabilize the situation.

TPP: The Czech and Polish prime ministers recently met in Warsaw and said their countries are likely to go along with the U.S. proposal. It seems this is a done deal, that any talk of debate in Parliament is all show. What do you think?

AF: It’s too serious to first of all be so quick and not take into account everything that is said by all parties interested. Everything needs to be taken into account. … We do hope that a realistic and responsible approach will take place and we overcome these things.

TPP: What is the responsible approach?

AF: The responsible approach for everybody deciding [this issue] is to see it … in the context of European affairs and international security. This means that, before making a decision, you should take into account everything, everything that not only is happening now, but that could happen, the future consequences of such a decision, of such a project. I would like to make reference to our dialogue between Russia and NATO on anti-missile systems. We reached some good results on the way to mutual understanding, first of all of the threats. Now, [the United States is] trying to change the methodology of defining the threats.

TPP: The United States wants to put missile interceptors in Europe. But Russian President Vladimir Putin is also talking about Russia’s missile capability. This all would seem to go against the arms limitation treaties in effect between Russia and the U.S.

AF: I tell you these things are not connected. The Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty and [the U.S. missile base] are not connected at the moment. But there is an idea in any case that [this base] means there will be a strategic component that U.S. military forces want to deploy in Europe. It’s very serious, because all these facilities, the radar as well as these silos, they give the ability to intercept and also to detect and monitor all activities [in Russia]. So, of course, this situation for our military people and political leadership is not acceptable, and in any case they will have to find an appropriate, though asymmetric, response.

TPP: Nikolai Solovtsov, commander of Russia’s Strategic Missile Force, recently said Poland and the Czech Republic could come under Russian missile attack. Is that a reply that is on the table right now?

AF: Mr. Solovtsov is one of our top brass in the military forces, but he is not in political leadership. He shows the way of thinking of the military. It was a clear-cut message, how they see it. It also showed that this is the way they will report their appraisal of the situation to political leadership if nothing changes.

TPP: At the same conference in Munich where Putin criticized the United States, he called U.S. President George Bush his friend. Are those conflicting positions?

AF: I tell you, my president was absolutely right, because only good friends can allow themselves to communicate in an open and frank manner, and in an honest manner. And when my president was stating some criticism concerning the foreign policy of the United States, he knew he would be understood correctly and properly.

TPP: It’s easy sometimes to confuse a disagreement with the state of a relationship as a whole. Friends can disagree.

AF: [Countries] should be honest, and they should be transparent in their activities and their decisions. … What my president was trying to say in Munich was that you should see Russia as it is, not as you imagine it would be or could be when it was suffering from problems and surviving. We survived. We are strong enough. Just see Russia as it is. We influenced maybe 10 years ago not so much, but we influence [now] and we will be influencing everything that is happening in the world.

Jeffrey White can be reached at jwhite@praguepost.com

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