Word: kozyrev
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...Kozyrev: I'm active out of despair. We simply cannot afford to lose any opportunity, since the alternative is clear: there will be a growing confrontation and hostility, and not just in Bosnia, itself. There is a realistic scenario emerging that is a repetition of what happened ((in the Balkans)) at the beginning of the century, when major powers came into conflict. If the U.S. Congress insists on a unilateral lifting of the arms embargo against the Muslims, how can I convince Zuygyanov and Zhirinovsky and the State Duma to keep economic sanctions against Serbia? This could produce a situation...
...Kozyrev: Yes, but what is more important for me is the success of our domestic revolution. I believe we can succeed in seizing this opportunity to make Russia a democratic state. That is key to everything, even if there are those in the West who are not as cooperative as we would like...
...Kozyrev: Atrocities have been committed by both sides, documented by U.N. observers. Still, the American media have only reported in a mild way about Muslims staging counteroffensives and provocations. There is the mirror situation in Russia, where ((one television network)) has systematically reported on the hardships suffered by Serbs because of the sanctions, never referring to why the sanctions were imposed. The truth of the matter is that there are no angels. As far as Western public opinion is concerned, Russia is seen as protecting those who are bloody butchers. When I deliver mild criticism of the Serbs here...
...Kozyrev: It depends on the situation. When there is a major crisis like the fighting in Abkhazia or Tajikistan, and we face a flow of refugees and killing, that takes priority. But Bosnia remains very high on the agenda for the Russian public. Our relationship with the West is very important too, especially in the economic field. Building an open society is important to the Russian people. As long as we stick to the democratic path and resist the red- brown ((opposition)), we will be recognized by the outside world. This is why creating the G-8 is so important...
...Foreign Minister Talks: Kozyrev on Zhirinovsky and others...