Russia, US, China experts agree on permanent consultations.

22/9 Tass 62

WASHINGTON, September 22 (Itar-Tass) - Experts from the United States,
Russia and China have for the first time agreed to hold on a permanent
basis trilateral consultations on w widest spectrum of issues in the
sphere of the economy, politics, defence and in other spheres. They ended
the first round of such meetings in Washington on Tuesday, head of the
Russian delegation, Pro-Rector for Research of the Moscow State Institute
of International Relations (MGIMO University) Alexei Podberezkin and
Director of the Centre for East Asian and Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation Studies (CEAS) within this university Alexander Lukin told
Itar-Tass.
"During the discussion that was closed for the press the parties
discussed common problems for the three countries linked with the economic
crisis, politics, ideology and financial aspects," Podberezkin noted.
According to him, the Chinese and Americans, in particular, "were highly
interested in modernisation that is underway in Russia and issues linked
with the political system and human rights.
Lukin for his part drew attention to the fact that "such
trilateral-format meetings have never been held until now at the political
and expert levels." In his view, the main thing "was an attempt to find
our common interests spheres." "We found out, for example, that we can
develop partnership on Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea and fighting against
Somali pirates," Lukin said. US Assistant Secretary of Defence for
International Security Affairs Alexander Vershbow, who also spoke at the
conference, said that the common fleet can be created by the three states
for combating pirates that will have international command on a rotational
basis. At the same time the expert stressed that the discussed ideas are
so far preliminary.
The Russian participants in the conference particularly marked the
issue of the three countries' cooperation on Afghanistan. "Moscow,
Washington and Beijing are interested in the stabilisation of the
situation in that country, but they acted in an uncoordinated way
earlier," Lukin pointed out. "At present, Russia and the United States are
acting more consistently in this sphere. The Chinese colleagues for their
part told us that Beijing is ready to invest funds, in particular, in the
construction of roads and development of infrastructure," he said.
Podberezkin noted that the parties agreed to continue the launched
consultations. The next round of the consultations will be held at the
invitation of China in Beijing in September-October 2011.
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