The Russian ambassador to the U.S. spoke of the importance of improving relations between the U.S. and Russia in a talk hosted by the International Students Consortium Wednesday night at the School of Management.
Addressing the crowded Trustees Ballroom, Ambassador Sergey Kislyak started off by focusing on the end of the Cold War and how much Russia has evolved and accomplished since the Soviet Union fell.
“Russia appeared as a new country,” Kislyak said. “It underwent a transformation that no other country has managed.”
He emphasized that Russia is “a country that is still building its democracy.”
He later stressed the importance of continuing the development of U.S.-Russian relations.
“Are we satisfied with the state of relations? Probably no,” Kislyak said.
He said improving relations between the two major powers is particularly important if they want to solve the problems facing the world today.
“We share the same challenges,” Kislyak said. “If we do not work together we stand to lose.”
However, he emphasized that in recent years the situation has improved.
“The tone has changed,” Kislyak said, highlighting the fact that the presidents of the two countries have met five times already.
During the question and answer period, audience members asked questions ranging from the future of the Russian economy to a future with NATO.
Kislyak said Russia was addressing the economic crisis through a “knowledge-based economy,” and that Russian companies were looking for new technology in order to rise out of their economic struggle.
When answering a question as to whether or not Russia would join NATO, he said he was “skeptical as to why Russia needs to join NATO.”
“We have a long, long way to go before we will be comfortable with NATO,” Kislyak said.
Another question arose this time pointing at government corruption in Russia, however the ambassador did not seem to think of it as a great concern.
“It’s a problem that exists in many countries,” he said. “We will overcome this, I am sure.”
People who attended the lecture were enthusiastic about the ambassador’s speech and his straightforward way of addressing the issues at hand.
Tim Hudson, an MBA student who will graduate in 2011, said “The fact that Russia is 18 years old and has accomplished what they accomplished in that time period is pretty impressive.”
“Also the ideas about breaking down stereotypes and the need for more cultural exchange is extremely appropriate, and I think this will remedy a lot of problems and questions he addressed,” he said.
Oleg Litvinenko, a first year MBA student and native of Russia said, “the importance of cultural exchange between the two countries and economic exchange is very critical.”
Litvinenko also liked the ideas of cultural exchange.
“I think [mistrust] can be reduced substantially by cooperating with each other and interacting,” he said.
This version corrects an earlier version that incorrectly identified Kislyak as a former ambassador.
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
