Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov opens two days of intensive talks with the new U.S. administration Friday with the hope of securing answers about how Washington plans to build an anti-missile shield. Ivanov told reporters after arriving just before midnight that he hoped bumpy relations in the period after President Bush's inauguration were behind them. He said it was important for Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet before a planned encounter alongside July's G8 summit of industrialized countries in Genoa, Italy. Ivanov said he would seek explanations for the anti-missile defense that Bush plans to develop regardless of Russian and Chinese objections and a cool reception from some U.S. allies.
U.S.-Russian relations are at a very critical stage.
Ivanov was to hold three meetings Friday with Secretary of State Colin Powell plus separate talks with Bush and his national security adviser Condoleezza Rice. He said he hoped both sides would hold a serious discussion on the missile defense system outlined by Bush in a May 1 address and promoted by U.S. emissaries in Europe and Asia. Russia and China denounce Bush's suggestion that the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty is outdated, but Moscow has been restrained in its statements. We hope that in Washington we will get clarification on questions which remain on the anti-missile defense plan. We intend to set down our position and initiatives on boosting strategic stability so that no one's interests are hurt.