Russia Cooperating with Both West and Iran

Mousa Pour-Mousavi told the Mehr News Agency that it is clear that Russia can not be considered a reliable and strategic partner for other countries due to its weaknesses.

Referring to the recent meeting between U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin during which they did not reach a final agreement on the issue of the Iranian nuclear program, Pour-Mousavi said the differences between the U.S. and Russia are not just U.S. media propaganda but are indicative of a very fundamental dispute between two countries with very different worldviews.

He believes that Russia is facing a serious challenge in its policies toward the West and the South. “On the one hand, its endeavors to gain the approval of the West, and in particular the United States, entail giving concessions to the U.S., while on the other hand, in a bid to protect its interests in the South, it has to intensify its activities there,” the analyst noted.

Pour-Mousavi added that since the two civilizations in the West and the South have not reached a logical compromise yet, in order to protect their interests the Russians have felt obliged to maintain a balance between the two poles.

He explained that Russia is a vast country and a nuclear power which possesses a United Nations Security Council veto. While the country has a powerful army, its economy has never been promising and lacks the required social integrity, he added. 

“Economic and social factors have always influenced Russia’s foreign policy…  a good reason why it can not be considered to be a reliable and strategic partner for other countries,” he said in conclusion.

RA/SRM/HG

End

MNA