Interfax's Interview

 "In any case, any kind of solution [to the Kosovo issue] will set an international legal precedent that will play a crucial role in resolving other frozen conflicts," he said.

 The international community needs to formulate and document "in a legally binding form that is accepted in international law" which of the following two principles should be applied to such conflicts - respect for a country's territorial integrity or peoples' right to self- determination, he said.

 International law envisions both of these principles, but "they have displayed certain contradictions in a number of cases in recent years amid globalization processes," Denisov said.

 "It has not had the most favorable influence on the settlement of conflicts in today's world, including in Kosovo, Abkhazia and South Ossetia," he said.

 "Regrettably, a number of countries are now trying to impose double standards in resolving conflicts in various parts of the planet on us. They propose using the principle of self-determination in some cases, for instance the Kosovo issue, and, for some unknown reason, the principle of territorial integrity primarily on former Soviet soil," the deputy minister said.

 "We cannot accept this ambiguity in approaches to such sensitive issues, which, it would not be an exaggeration to say, are vital to the fate of entire nations. We stand by our position," he said.

 Russia's position is "that the most fair, mutually acceptable and bloodless solutions must be found to conflicts plaguing the world through exclusively peaceful methods and negotiations. They must be documented in a legally binding form that is accepted in international law and must be obeyed by all of the parties involved. They should also outline appropriate military, political, economic and other guarantees that can by provided by mediators, should it prove necessary," Denisov said.

 "The situation in Kosovo is no exception," he said.

 Commenting on Russia’s relations with NATO, Denisov said that Georgian and Ukrainian accession to NATO could complicate Russia's relations with the two countries and the alliance as a whole.

 Russia's negative attitude to NATO enlargement is well known, and the authorities in Moscow do not see "any sensible arguments in favor this enlargement from the point of view the security interests of the countries in question," Denisov said.

 "It is completely obvious that, to put it mildly, it will not help form an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding in Europe," he said.

 "However, as far as we know, Georgia and Ukraine are not going to join NATO today, although they have proclaimed their choice in favor or Euro-Atlantic organizations. They have not mentioned plans to withdraw from the CIS, either," he said.
 The potential deployment of elements of the U.S. missile defense system in the Czech Republic and Poland threatens the interests of Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states, Denisov said.

 "Given the capability of promptly switching from missile defense parameters to offensive weapons parameters, the planned NMD system could pose a serious threat to CSTO members," he said.

 This issue will feature high on the agenda of an upcoming session of the CSTO's supreme statutory body - the Collective Security Council, and will be broadly addressed in the organization's declaration marking the 15th anniversary of the Collective Security Treaty, Denisov said.

 The CSTO comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

 Russia's agreements with Central Asian countries to build a pre-Caspian gas pipeline "are getting on Washington's nerves" because they do not fit its energy transportation strategy, Denisov said.

 "The U.S. has been lobbying the idea of an East-West energy corridor for a long time. Its aim is to arrange the transportation of hydrocarbons from the Caspian region bypassing the territories of Russia and Iran," he said.

 The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum pipelines have already been built, the deputy minister said, adding that "this notorious trans-Caspian gas pipeline is intended to support them".

 "The political motives behind all of these projects are evident. The pre-Caspian pipeline clearly does not fit this concept, which has caused [Washington's] nervous reaction," he said.

 However, he refrained from commenting on statements by several U.S. officials on the pre-Caspian pipeline.

 "The decision to build the pre-Caspian pipeline was reached based on a careful calculation both of the benefit to the participants from the implementation of this project, and the conditions required to bring it into existence," Denisov said. He said that possible technical and ecological risks of the project have been reduced to nothing, because the pipeline will follow an existing route along the Caspian shore.

 "As regards the trans-Caspian pipeline, which is mainly being supported by players outside the region, this route is still primarily virtual," he said. He said that the obstacles to this project include the fact that the status of the Caspian still has to be regulated, and also the ongoing dispute between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan over the ownership of a number of fields.

 "In addition, the special nature of the Caspian should be taken into consideration. Here the risks are very high due to the closed nature of the water system, the geology of the sea bed and the presence of strong underwater currents," the Russian diplomat said.

 As a result, he said that discussion of whether the implementation of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline project is against Russia's interests "is not relevant."

 In mid-May, after the signing of an agreement on the construction of the pre-Caspian gas pipeline by Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said that this is not good news for Europe, which should diversify its energy sources.

 The pre-Caspian pipeline is to be built through Russia, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. The trans-Caspian pipeline goes through the Caspian Sea, bypassing Russia.
 Moscow believes that the development pattern of the EU cannot be applied to the CIS, Denisov said.

 "It does not fit the CIS. The model presupposes supranational bodies with the right to take binding decisions, and it is common knowledge that this is unacceptable for some CIS members," he said.

 This is the general conclusion of "a group of sages" who are discussing the CIS reform issues, he said.

 "The experience of European integration can be and should be used, and, of course, our specificity should be assumed," he said.

 "We believe that integration in the CIS should be aligned with the evolution within the framework of the EU on the basis of mutual complementarity and mutual benefits and should not lead to new lines of demarcation," Denisov said.

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