Russia Shows Optimism Over Ties With New U.S. AdministrationRussia does not regard Thursday' s detention of State Secretary of the Russia-Belarus Union Pavel Borodin in New York as "the start of some unpleasant relations with the new U.S. administration," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Mamedov said in Moscow Saturday."It should not be forgotten that the Borodin case happened during the tenure of Bill Clinton's administration." Moscow portrayed the incident "as sad but regards it as an issue we will resolve, hopefully, soon," the deputy foreign minister said. Speaking about the prospects of bilateral cooperation with the new U.S. administration, which was inaugurated Saturday, Mamedov said Moscow "looks forward without any fears and believes that the dialogue with the U.S. side will continue without any pause." "We wait very calmly and constructively for the new U.S. administration to fully establish itself," he said. U.S. Ambassador to Russia James Collins said on the same day that Borodin had been taken in U.S. custody not for political reasons. He said the issue is for law enforcement agencies to resolve, and there is nothing more than that. Much attention is paid on the case filed by Switzerland, and the U.S. must simply abide by its treaty with Switzerland, Collins said. |
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