Washington, February 10 (Interfax) - Russia needs to recognize that former Soviet republics are now independent and sovereign and cannot be viewed as being under the influence of Russia, said former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
"No country should be treated as if it were merely within the ‘sphere of interest’ of another. Russia’s neighbors are independent and sovereign, as are other countries," Albright, who heads a special 12-strong NATO group to draw up recommendations on the military alliance’s new strategic concept, said in an interview with Interfax.
Albright acknowledged that events in one nation can affect the interests of another. "But disagreements should be resolved in accordance with international law – not by the domination of the big over the small. The concept of a ‘sphere of interests’ is not recognized as a legal principle," she said.
"NATO does not accept the idea of a geographically distinct ‘sphere of interests.’ Like other countries, NATO members can be affected by developments in almost any region; this is simply a fact of life in the 21st century. That is why NATO places such a strong emphasis on its partnerships and on cooperating with organizations such as the UN, the EU, and the OSCE," Albright said.
"NATO recognizes that a high degree of international cooperation will be required to maintain stability in a world where potential dangers are quick to arise, highly mobile, and hard to foresee," Albright said.
"NATO has developed partnerships with countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus to deal with common security challenges such as terrorism and drug-trafficking and has enlisted their assistance in efforts to stabilize Afghanistan. All of these efforts serve Russian interests as well," she said.
Asked whether NATO’s area of responsibility could go beyond the territory of its member states’, Albright answered, "In my view, NATO’s core responsibility is to defend the territory of its members."
"The alliance does acknowledge that threats to its members and to world peace can emerge without warning and from diverse places around the globe. Accordingly, NATO works with its many partners to help countries defend against terrorism, piracy, organized crime, and sabotage," she said.
Albright emphasized that her interview reflects only her personal opinions, and in no way should be viewed as the opinion of the NATO group or the U.S. administration.
