WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday played down tensions with Russia over Georgia, saying they would not cloud arms control talks and Washington wanted ties with Moscow to hit a new level.
At a news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Clinton said “people in families disagree” and she did not want to dwell on differences over Georgia’s or Russia’s strong opposition to NATO military exercises there this week.
“It is old thinking to say that we have a disagreement in one area, therefore we shouldn’t work in something else that is of overwhelming importance. That is just not the way we think,” she said.
“We want to normalize the relationship and raise it to a new level.”
Lavrov described their meeting as productive and agreed disputes must not poison ongoing arms control negotiations.
“The task of further reductions of strategic offensive weapons is too important, both for Russia and the United States, and for the entire world, in fact, to make it hostage of any particular regime anywhere,” he said.
Russia briefly invaded Georgia last summer and tensions flared again this week when Georgia accused Russia of being behind a failed mutiny at a military base.
Clinton said the two discussed Georgia in their meeting, which is aimed at laying the groundwork for a July summit between President Barack Obama and President Dmitry Medvedev.
“I believe that Minister Lavrov as well as the Russian government recognize that stability and a peaceful resolution to the tensions in Georgia is in everyone’s interest.”