- Right now, what are the priorities of US-Russia relations?

- Today, the relations between Russia and the United States are based on the two countries’ similar approach to security issues, such as countering the terrorist threat, stopping drug trafficking, and preventing WMD proliferation. The most significant part of cooperation is, of course, the anti-terrorist efforts. Certainly, the program of US-Russia relations should be expanded, primarily, in the area of commerce.

- One of your recent initiatives that was announced in New York proposed the creation of an international tribunal, – analogous to the Hague Tribunal – which would review the cases of terrorists from around the world. What would that yield?

- Today, despite the creation of the anti-terrorist coalition, counter-terrorist efforts are conducted as though terrorism is a phenomenon particular to a given country, not to the global community. Each country fights only those terrorists that directly threaten it. Right now, there are more terrorist organizations in the world than there are sovereign nations. It is unacceptable that, in certain countries that condemn Al-Qaeda, the terrorists who killed the children in Beslan are hailed as fighters for freedom and, in other countries that do not approve of the Chechen rebels, Bin Laden is esteemed as a liberator. A universal approach is necessary – there should be no contrast between “our” and “foreign” terrorists. It is, therefore, imperative to have international institutions to combat international terrorism. One such institution might be an international tribunal that would try the captured terrorists without any territorial or national attribution.

- How good for US-Russia commercial relations is the political and economic climate in Russia?

- The political climate is, unquestionably, favorable to the development of economic relations between America and Russia. There is no anti-Americanism in Russia. There are also no bases for our countries to change the present partnership attitude.

- In your opinion, would the recent decisions of President Putin, construed by many Western experts as deviations from democracy, influence American investors?

- These interpretations of Western experts are as prejudiced as their decision not to repeal the Jackson-Vanick amendment. What could be said of the decision to change the State Duma election method to a proportional system? Does that system in any way contradict democracy? It is commonly known that the foundation of representation systems in the US and Great Britain is local direct election. These systems were laid down historically. In these countries, the majority election system does seem to work. By contrast, continental Europe, which is quite democratic and even liberal, utilizes in most places the proportional system. What should one expect to follow from it all? Sociologists may say that the absence of strong parties signifies the scarcity of state democratic institutions and general democratic procedures. However, parties originate in the course of political competition, primarily during elections. One must remember that the party system in Russia is still in the phase of forma tion.  As we were taught by Karl Popper, no one could create democracy that did not use political parties.

The other reform of Putin is the procedure of appointing the heads of regional administrations, the governors. I am tired of repeating myself to everyone that in many long-standing and traditional democracies the governors are not elected, but appointed. In Russia, the national government will only propose candidates for the local parliaments to choose from. In this way, unlike in many other countries, in Russia the involvement of the national government will not be direct. As it commonly recognized, modern representative democracy is a mere competition of elite groups. In Russia, elite groups have not yet been formed; they are still in the process of acquiring legitimacy. Meanwhile, the country must exist. When Putin came to power, he inherited disrupted commercial systems, regional separatism, mass poverty, high crime rates, suspicious privatization, corruption, and blackmailing of the government by the oligarchs.           I see no threat to American investors arising from Russia’s proportional electoral system or from the procedure of appointing governors.

- You once sent a letter to Joseph Biden, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee in the US Senate, with a request to repeal the “relic of the Cold War,” the Jackson-Vanick amendment. Has anything changed since then? What specific steps are being taken about elevating Russia out of Jackson-Vanick?

- There are very few letters that actually address this subject. In reality, the problem goes beyond the amendment alone. In the summer of 2004, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council compiled the second edition of a report titled “The Legislation of the United States and Russia’s Interests” – the first edition was published in May 2002. The report examined the particularities of US-Russia relations, the two countries’ priorities in foreign policy, and the world terrorist threat. The report thoroughly addressed the area of Russia’s economic development, the state of US-Russia commercial relations, and the US policy of sanctions. The United States, according to its policy of export control, imposes sanctions on WMD technologies. The report analyzed US opposition to Russia’s military and scientific collaboration with foreign partners. Contained in the report is list of complaints directed against the current legislation of the US, which discriminates against Russia in international commercial exchanges. The report outlines primary objectives of the US-Russia dialogue on topics of international trade. The legislations of Russia and the United States are discussed by the members of the upper parliamentary chambers of our countries during the sessions of the “Federation Council – US Senate” task force. This form of cooperation, initiated in November 2003, turned out to be of great interest to the American side: many Senators, both Democrat and Republican, are eager to be included in that group. We have come to mutual understanding that such legislation analysis will allow the parliaments of Russia and the US to remove “the excesses of the Cold War.”

- There are more and more small and middle-size businesses in Russia and the United States that look with hope toward the possibility of future US-Russia economic cooperation. What is your advice to them?

- My advice is that they should look not only with their eyes, but also with their heads. It is only at this stage that concrete economic cooperation can begin.

- What problems are now troubling Mikhail Margelov, the vice-chairman of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE)?

- I report on the Middle East to the political committee of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. Right now, I am preoccupied about the upcoming elections in Palestine - all the more so because the January 2005 session of PACE will analyze the development of democracy in that region. The session will be conducted in the form of debates. I will be present in Palestine during the election as one of international observers. There is hope that after the leader of Palestine will be elected, PACE will be more successful in facilitating the growth of democracy there than before.