Clinton Urges Russia to Open Political System

Clinton Urges Russia to Open Political System

By MARK LANDLER
Published: October 14, 2009

MOSCOW — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton declared Wednesday that Russia would best fulfill its potential if it opened its political system and allowed more dissent.

In a town-hall meeting with almost 1,000 students at Moscow State University, Mrs. Clinton spoke forcefully about human rights abuses and the weaknesses in Russias legal system.

Thats why attacks on journalists and human rights activists are such a great concern, because it is a threat to progress, Mrs. Clinton said. The more open and dynamic political system you have, the more opinions that will flow in, and the more successful outcomes will flow out.

Asked by a student to name a book that had made an impact on her, Mrs. Clinton singled out The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. She said the parable of the Grand Inquisitor in that novel spoke to dangers of certitude, and was a lesson she had carried with her for her adult life.

One of the greatest threats we face is from people who believe they are absolutely, certainly right about everything, Mrs. Clinton said.

Mrs. Clintons trip visit served to underscore the Obama administrations growing attachment to Dmitri A. Medvedev, the 44-year-old lawyer and businessman who was Vladimir V. Putins choice to succeed him as president. The White House made much of a recent statement by Mr. Medvedev that sometimes sanctions are inevitable, interpreting it as support for a tough stance on Iran. But his words have not been echoed by either Mr. Putin or the foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov. After Mr. Lavrov rejected the American call to threaten sanctions against Iran on Tuesday, Mrs. Clinton went to see Mr. Medvedev at his dacha outside Moscow. Her aides said he repeated the support he had expressed to Mr. Obama.

On Wednesday, when Mrs. Clinton was asked during a Moscow radio interview why she had gone to see the president, she pointedly reminded listeners of who directs Russias foreign policy.

The president sets the policy, Mrs. Clinton said. I carry out President Obamas policy; Minister Lavrov carries out President Medvedevs policy. So making sure we are communicating is very important.

Later, at a town-hall meeting at Moscow State University, Mrs. Clinton praised the presidents vision of a Russia that builds its economic prosperity on technology and innovation rather than mineral wealth.

Left unsaid was the role of Mr. Putin, who remains the power behind the throne in this country. He was off in Beijing during Mrs. Clintons visit, signing trade deals worth several billion dollars with the Chinese.

But Mrs. Clintons emphasis was on the new rather than the old. She told the students that they symbolized a new Russia, one that produces innovators like Sergey Brin, the Muscovite started the Internet search giant, Google. And she urged Russia to throw aside its old animosities.

I choose partnership, and I choose to put aside being a child of the cold war, Mrs. Clinton said. I choose to move beyond the rhetoric and propaganda that came from my government and yours.

I choose a different future, and thats a choice everyone of us can make every single day, and I look forward to sharing that future with you, she said.
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[FreedomFighter357]

"The goal of a world without Nuclear Weapons is a very important goal"... Are these people in power ever capable of not lying with every word out of their filthy holes?

goggle search > "new money for nuclear weapons" and click on the nukewatch link..

[FreedomFighter357]

Hillary is full of crap.. period! At the same time she talks of nuclear disarmament and reduction to make the world safer, the US, under Obama's command is spending tens of billions on new nuclear weapons technology. What a hypocrite and bold face liar!

[v19d]

@msmoustafa2011 Maybe Clinton should learn to shut her mouth up. Is she suggesting America bombs Russia if she said this speech today.

[ahmedeox]

Any attempt for nuclear disarmament is bound to fail. Try to disarm the american citizen see if you succeed.

[111256able]

The United Nation Assembly should make a resolution propsing all nations to cut their military expenditure to 50% and the capital saved should be channeled for economic developments in third world nations.Private bankers should not handled the administrative side of IMF and world banks to ensure that there would be no conflict of interest on lending nations and borrowing nations.Any form of exploiting criteria imposed upon borrowing nations should be stopped and should not be tolerated.

[111256able]

People of the world are not Interested in who has what now.Life goes on.Just because one has nuclear bombs that does not mean they can fleg their muscles everywhere around the world.This is the 21st century and intimidation by owners of nuclear bombs is thing of the past.If any nation wants to be prosperous they have to work for it and must not achieve it through the expense of other nations.

[111256able]

American military involvement in Geogia defnitely will pose as a threat to Russian security.America should stop meddling in areas within the fringes of Russia unless she is looking for trouble.American presence around Georgia poses as a threat to all nations sharing borders with Georgia.If America thinks she is eyeing to be a sole super power in the world,she is greatly mistaken.She should drop all military ambitions in Georgia and most parts of the world.The world are weary of war n wants peace