Aug. 15, 2007 (LPAC)--Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's challenging article on the unlimited potential of U.S.-Russian relations for global good if the policy of "the containment of Russia" is discarded, appeared today on the website of the Russian Ministry for International Affairs. It reflects the discussions which Russian President Putin had with the President Bush and his father at Kennebunkport in July, and the potential for a new anti-missile defense system which Putin posed to President Bush, once again, there.

The article, which speaks of the "Westphalian system," a reference to the Peace of Westphalia which ended the Thirty Years War in 1648, on the basis that each side should seek "the good of the other," and refers to the Sermon on the Mount and the "Golden Rule" as principles of international relations, was originally submitted by Lavrov to "Foreign Affairs," the journal of the Council of Foreign the basis of the European view of the world." The very mention of Delors also raises his proposal for transport corridors linking the economically developed parts of Europe with Russia, a plan today associated with American statesman Lyndon LaRouche and his wife, Helga Zepp-LaRouche, who subsequently expanded this plan as "the European Productive Triangle," and, later, the "Eurasian Landbridge," with numerous spiral arms reaching still farther. The LaRouche version of this plan includes the Balkans, which were left out of the Delors plan.

Lavrov's article is centered on the fact that political forces on both sides of the Atlantic seem intent on "starting a debate on whether or not to contain Russia." Russia is an open country, which has abandoned its ideology--which was, in any case, a product of European thought--and which today seeks economic development and trade. "No state or group of states possesses sufficient resources to impose unipolarity on the world ... Unipolarity, after all, is an attempt at God's powers," Lavrov writes. There are several leading actors in the global arena, and collective leadership is needed in international relations, especially where, "[G]iven the indivisibility of security and prosperity in the world of the 21st century, any further delay in solving accumulated problems is fraught with devastating consequences for all nations." Lavrov, referencing North Korea, Syria, Iran, and Darfur, says, "[O]ne has to admit that there are no forced-based solutions for the existing problems," and only engagement in dialogue, even with rogue states, can provide genuine security. Coercion threatens the energy security of Europe and the entire world, Lavrov warns. "Today's problems, including the controversial implications of globalization, cannot be solved outside the moral standards. The Sermon on the Mount, the Golden Rule, and humility imply a moral law that is valid for international relations as well."

The "containment of Russia philosophy correlates well with unilateral plans to station a U.S. missile defense base in Europe," Lavrov says, and Lavrov counterposes Putin's Kennebunkport offer for joint use of the Gabala, Azerbaijan radar station, and joint analysis of potential missile threats through 2020 with the U.S., European states, and Russia.

Lavrov, in posing a solution, says the approach "could be represented by the perception of Russia and the U.S. as two branches of the European civilization, each contributing its share of value added. We could meet at the 'common table' on the basis of the European view of the world ... I can't but agree with Jacques Delors, who believes that 'future development should lead to reaching a comprehensive agreement' within this 'troika.' The ex-European Commission President is quite right in saying that ... 'every time discords separate them [America, Russia, and the European Union--ed.] ... the risk of global instability increases significantly.'"

Lavrov concludes, with respect to the U.S. and Russia, "I believe that we are still capable of amazing the world."