MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax-AVN) - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has described his negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday as successful.
Speaking live on Ekho Moskvy radio on Thursday morning, Powell said Putin and he had discussed all aspects of bilateral relations and regional problems.
The U.S. secretary of state said he was impressed by the fact that both Putin and Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov spoke with him in a spirit of cooperation.
Although the U.S. and Russia had disagreements concerning the war in Iraq, they are working to agree on a new UN Security Council resolution, something that unites them, Powell said. He said a new resolution is needed to help the Iraqi people build a new life.
Powell said during his meeting with Putin they did not talk about vetoing a new resolution on Iraq, about extending certain deadlines or the upcoming voting. The U.S. is currently working with Russia to satisfy its concerns with the resolution, he said.
Powell said Putin and he talked about specific elements of the future resolution.
The secretary of state noted that, although there are possibly other options for lifting the sanctions from Iraq, probably the best way would be if the international community lifts the sanctions through a new UN resolution.
At the moment, peacekeeping zones are being established in Iraq, and each of them will be controlled by military contingents from different countries, such as Poland, Britain or the U.S., he said.
The decision concerning Russia's involvement in a postwar settlement in Iraq should be made by Moscow itself, Powell said. He said financial or humanitarian aid, particularly medical aid, would be welcomed.
Touching on current Russian-American relations, Powell said he is glad to see at the end of his active career that the U.S. and Russia are friends and partners again, as they were after WWII, and that they are working together. Powell remarked that the two countries are committed to democracy, have much in common, and, although they sometimes disagree on certain matters, they will discuss these disagreements.