A Conversation with Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov

By Paul Saunders

At a Nixon Center luncheon seminar on May 17, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov expressed his expectation that new United Nations Security Council sanctions against Iran would soon come to a vote.  Speaking in the wake of a Brazilian-Turkish initiative to enrich uranium for an Iranian medical research reactor, Ivanov added that American and Russian intelligence agencies are sharing information on Iran and cooperating well, though he acknowledged differences between the U.S. and Russia in assessing how long it could take Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.  Former Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Energy James Schlesinger introduced Ivanov and moderated the discussion.

Questioned repeatedly about Iran by participants in the session, Ivanov made clear that Tehran should have a chance to deliver on the Brazil-Turkey deal, but suggested that consideration of U.N. sanctions should continue on a parallel track.  Ivanov appeared somewhat skeptical of the new arrangement, reminding that Iran had not lived up to an earlier and similar agreement for enrichment in Russia.  Answering a subsequent question, Ivanov added that Iran sometimes seems to be “teasing the international community” and that some “political declarations” by Iranian leaders are “totally unacceptable”.  The United States, Russia, and other permanent members of the Security Council presented their draft resolution the day following Ivanov’s comments. 

When questioned about a Russian contract to supply Iran with S-300 anti-aircraft missiles, Ivanov defended the deal as being consistent with international law and, despite continuing (and apparently political) delays in delivering the missiles, was not prepared to say that Russia would withhold them from Tehran.  Nor did he indicate that the delivery was imminent, however.  He reiterated Moscow’s long-standing position that the S-300 missiles are strictly defensive and that U.S. global arms sales are substantially greater than Russia’s.  In his view, Ivanov said, the next Security Council resolution should “categorize” weapons, blocking the sales of some systems but permitting others.  “I don’t think it’s wise to prohibit [selling] a single bullet to Iran, but [we could in theory accept] selling serious weapon systems, heavy weapon systems.”

On other topics, Ivanov complained that U.S.-Russian economic ties are still relatively weak and concentrated his remarks on opportunities for U.S.-Russian cooperation, especially trade, investment, and high-tech projects.  Arriving in Washington after witnessing the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis in Cape Canaveral, Ivanov called for intensified space cooperation between Moscow and Washington that moves beyond the International Space Station.  He saw space cooperation as a model for other areas and noted that American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts have already forged tight bonds in which the fact that all are fully bilingual complements their close personal relations.

Perhaps of wider economic significance, Ivanov praised the Obama Administration’s decision to send the U.S.-Russian 123 agreement—a framework for commercial cooperation in nuclear power—and an opportunity to stimulate “multi-billion”-dollar contracts.  He also expressed strong support for a joint venture between Boeing and Russian aircraft manufacturer Aviastar to produce the An-124 heavy transport aircraft, adding that the current six-year waiting period to lease for the planes demonstrates strong demand.  Designated “Condor” by NATO, the An-124 is one of the world’s largest cargo planes. 

Ivanov argued that in addition to U.S. and Russian economic interests, shared values and a shared belief in democracy are a force for closer cooperation.  According to him, it was strange to a Russian ear to hear references to “the United States, Europe, and Russia” because Russia is a part of Europe and Russians consider themselves Europeans.  Russia now has very good relations with “Old Europe”—Germany, Italy, France, and other Western European nations.   Ivanov expressed frustration with the U.S. failure to free Russia from (largely symbolic) trade restrictions imposed by the Cold War-era Jackson-Vanik Amendment—though one participant in the session who had been instrumental in the amendment’s initial passage in 1974 argued that a close reading of the law would exempt Moscow from its requirements, which were specifically intended to apply only to countries with non-market economies.