Moscow sees ‘rough spots’ in ties with US

There are some problem areas in Russia’s relations with the United States but they should not be dramatized, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday. “Needless to say, [our] relations with America are not devoid of rough patches,” he said in an interview with the Rossia-24 TV channel. “And we have problems in bilateral ties,” he added, citing in particular the missile defense issue. However, Russian-U.S. relations are “probably at their best” in recent years. Problems are caused mainly by “the inertia of American mentality,” “the wish to exert pressure on its partner always and everywhere,” and interference in the internal affairs of other countries, Lavrov said. So in its dialogue with the Americans, Russia “cultivates mutual respect,” and compliance with the rules of international law, he said, adding that Moscow was “able to improve the situation with the Obama administration.” His remarks echo those of outgoing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev who said on Thursday that the past four years were “the best in the history of Russian-U.S. relations.”