'HOORAY! I'M GOING TO BE SECRETARY OF STATE!'
[Novosti, Russia]
Novosti,
Russia
Clinton 'By Far
Not the Worst' for U.S. Secretary of State
"Hillary Clinton is an
interesting and unexpected choice (for secretary of state). She is undoubtedly
a person well-versed in international affairs. … She has been to our country
and has some idea of what Russia is all about."
-- Vyacheslav Nikonov, political scientist and president of
the Russian World Foundation
By Dmitriy Gornostayev
Translated By Yekaterina Blinova
November 23, 2008
Russia
- Novosti - Original Article (Russian)
New York: Given her balanced
approach to relations with Moscow, the Obama Administration's nomination of
Hillary Clinton as U.S. secretary of state is not a bad outcome for Russia, according
to Vyacheslav Nikonov, Russian political scientist and president of the Russian
World Foundation. [The Russian World Foundation is devoted to promoting and
disseminating the Russian language 
]. Nikonov made
the comments during a recent visit to the United States.
Last Friday, several
authoritative U.S. media sources reported Clinton’s acceptance of Obama’s offer
to lead the State Department. The speculation is that the U.S. president-elect
will announce this appointment some time after Thanksgiving Day, which
Americans celebrate on Thursday.
"Hillary Clinton is an
interesting and unexpected choice (for secretary of state). She is undoubtedly
a person well-versed in international affairs. Along with her husband (Bill
Clinton, United States president from 1993 to 2001) she visited over 80
nations. Hillary Clinton has been to our country and has some idea of what
Russia is all about. And in my opinion she has a very balanced view of [U.S.]
relations with the Russian Federation," Nikonov said, replying to a
question from RIA Novosti [RIA News].
SEE ALSO:
Die Welt, Germany: Clinton Pick
a Bold Expression of Obama's Strength
Die Presse,
Austria: Obama Chooses the Best People - What a Concept!
According to Nikonov, the
most likely candidate to head the National Security Council - a key advisor to
the next president - former [supreme allied] commander of NATO forces in
Europe, General James Jones , is also quite knowledgeable in regard to relations
with Russia.
"General Jones is likely
to head the National Security Council. He is also a sufficiently pragmatic man
with good knowledge of the difficulties in relations between Europe and
Russia," the Russian political scientist said.
"This is why,
considering all possible candidates for filling senior positions in the U.S.
foreign policy establishment, these (Hillary Clinton and James Jones) are by
far not the worst. Earlier contenders for the post of the secretary of state
were a number of political figures, for example, Richard Holbrooke
, former deputy secretary of state [Clinton], who in
my opinion would be much worse for relations between Russia and America,"
Nikonov said.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
Since Obama himself is not an
expert in this area, he stressed that the attitude of the United States toward
Russia under the new administration will depend largely on the personalities of
those who will guide American foreign policy.
"Barack Obama is in many
ways a 'blank slate' in regard to Russian-American relations and he isn't a
specialist on our country. He's surrounded by a great variety of people who
have been preoccupied with Russian relations and who have often held
diametrically opposing views to one another on how to build relationships with
our country," Nikonov said.
Among Obama's foreign policy
advisors who are "very critical of our country," Nikonov named the
famous "hawk" Zbigniew Brzezinski
, former national security adviser for the Clinton
Administration, as well as his son Ian Brzezinski , deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO affairs.
"On the other hand,
Obama adviser Celeste Wallander has very realistic conception of how to build
relations with Russia," the political scientist said.
Nevertheless, Nikonov
speculates "one can expect the first step in Russo-American relations for
the Obama Administration to occur in March of next year," since, "to
begin with, Obama must become the president of the United States."
CLICK HERE FOR RUSSIAN
VERSION
[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US November 30,
1:42am]
