By empty (9/21/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)
The U.S. has proposed that the mechanisms of the OSCE and the NATO-Russia Council should be employed to fight terrorism in Eurasia by developing new methods for coordinating efforts to maintain security and stability in that region, U.
The U.S. has proposed that the mechanisms of the OSCE and the NATO-Russia Council should be employed to fight terrorism in Eurasia by developing new methods for coordinating efforts to maintain security and stability in that region, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow said at the EurAsEC Business World international congress on Tuesday. The United States believes that Russia has strong interests in Central Asia and the U.S. government shares these interests, he said. Both Russia and the U.S. are interested in having democratic states in that region, so that it does not turn into a breeding ground for terrorism and extremism, he said. Stability in Central Asia is of special importance, because the region borders countries that have suffered from terrorism most of all, Vershbow said. The ambassador recalled his repeated statements that the U.S. is interested in a stable and prosperous Russia. He said that Russia also needs stable and prospering neighbors, including the countries comprising the Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC). EurAsEC is composed of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Russia. Armenia, Ukraine, and Moldova have observer status in the organization. (Interfax)