but does the world look any safer in the new year what other major events are expected on the international arena or asking sort of the foreign minister of russia. the security conference in munich will see russia and the us exchange the starter to papers signed by president smith that of an obama this document will provide stability and we can be confident that we want to see an arms race wellat least not in the next ten years and while it's quiet in the west of the arab east is a serious concern for russian diplomacy the unrest which started in tunisia spread over the region like wildfire the graver situation is in egypt where hundreds of thousands of people have been railing to force the long serving president out of office. hello mr and welcome to the show thank you very much for being with us well first of all i want to say that adds a lot of questions to you and our viewers our listeners read facebook and they also

have a lot of questions which are more personal so what we start with politics of personal if you choose politics at all to. egypt israeli politicians claim that the overthrow of mubarak in egypt may lead to actual ms and that this may not be really a democratic process but the other way around and that it will threaten the peace process in the middle east you have to assume the fears are not well first believe we the russians have had enough revolutions in the history i don't think. vice to france would be to have revolutions of the rome it's always bloody it's always messy it was throws the country back in its development so speaking of fidget the chip dissolves through japan we want egypt to be stable democratic prosperous and for this needs peace

and peace first of all inside its own country and we hope very much that the gyptian six who are very wise people with a very long very she story. would be able to sit down and to decide peacefully how to get out of this situation. i don't think any outsiders. should really be pushing through one way or another i don't think any suggestions from outside going to be helpful and they're going to lead to a sustainable resolution of this situation i don't think that official deadlines that if al tomato are you know there and i strongly believe that the egyptian political forces political groups. themselves find their way out we would

be watching the situation closely also because there are a lot of russian citizens tourists but also those who reside in the egypt dominant and we approached in our contacts with was egyptian the leadership was huge and authorities we approached them. emphasizing that we believe that all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of the russian people would be. taken and of course recalled that the tourists would. heed the appeal not to go to egypt. to wait until the situation gets quiet we cannot proceed without citizens to travel but i will very strong recommendation. to do the deed later. let's say yes i did not mention the new bill the settlement aspect of your question you know.

probably there is no direct link between the deadlock in the peace negotiations and what is going on in egypt but not only in egypt that even if it is an active member of the go see action process well it is a key regional power and is very instrumental for quite a number of negotiations including the negotiations between israelis and palestinians but also including. the negotiations between the factions in palestine palestinian reconciliation is something egypt has been trying to promote and we hope very much that egypt would keep its key role in this process but what i want to emphasize over there is no direct link between what is going on the year and into news. on the on the one hand and the peace process but i am convinced that the stakes have never been higher than today including for israel

and the sooner peace process resumes the sooner a settlement would be shaped less. unstable the region is going to be that's my conviction and i certainly believe that the meeting go because it the ministers of the quoted in munich this we can't address this problem very seriously there is no time left to waste we must. do something to resume the peace talks so let's stay in the middle east since we started talking that the middle east peace process in january president medvedev visited visited jordan and palestine and he said that thing that sounded since they should all because they're the world hasn't heard anything like that from the russian leader says god. sure i guess here's what he said russia supports an independent palestinian state well if only garcia actions efforts. fail there will russia's support for you when

membership for the palestine without israel's consent well full un membership is a process to get the are immune you have to go through the security council and then through the general assembly. and i don't believe it was a sensational statement by president the dead of because an independent palestinian state was a capital in these jerusalem. because something is something which the security council of the united nations has and there was three people in resolution supported by all permanent members the problem is that this vision is not being stressed is not being implemented in practice and sometimes people shy away from reiterating it but we are convinced that unless we want to have a permanent and deepening conflict in the region this must be the solution and we

call upon israel is to recognize this and not to drag on. in the negotiations to sit down with the palestinians on the basis of the international legal framework indoors by the security council and this legal framework and one other things demands that all unilateral actions which prejudge the final settlement must be stopped and this includes settlement activities by israel and others the station i think thousand sensational from the russian president was the other day he he. ordered the foreign ministry to take the human rights advocates opinion into account why dealing with look at shank over belarus what does it mean can you comment on it well this means that russia is a member of the international community. which includes the united nations

organization security and cooperation in europe which includes the council of europe and there are certain standards indorsed by all of us there are a commitment to reach for all substrate and we want this commitments to be on earth and to be respected. you know what happened in belarus immediately after the elections their arrests of the candidates to the presidential position the rest of the human rights activists the rest of journalists russian citizens by the russian citizen still remain in custody and this is unacceptable the accusations are not looking very serious frankly speaking and we try to get more clarity from our bill russian colleagues the council of europe a committee of ministers considered this issue a couple of weeks ago and there was the resolution unanimously adopted was the russian active support and participation demanding the bill the russian authorities

to release the candidates to presidency of the human rights activists and journalists from prison and to respect european values and principles there is nothing there is nothing strange in this situation yes the bill of rights is old brotherly country bill receives over through to egypt but in the context of the customs union common economic space collective security treaty organization but this does not mean that we should close our eyes on violations of the basic human rights and freedoms. so. this is also be the position which for size of that russia is not going to be guided by double standards and this also applies to human rights protection and respect inside the russian federation minister at a news conference in istanbul recently held jointly with the turkish foreign

minister you characterize sanctions against iran as counterproductive and you expressed how that they would be lifted does it mean that russia alongside me with turkey and brazil may raise this issue at the u.n. security council well not exactly. we have said that sanctions normally do not work but sometimes they become inevitable and in the case of the last resolution of the security council which was adopted last july this was the case sanctions became inevitable because all approaches all calls upon the ron to resume negotiations was the five plus one group. or not he did and iran continued to avoid responding to the international community requests requests which were a. promoting closer cooperation between the round and i say in order to

close the issues to reach remain on the table and reach important to clarify to make sure that the iranian nuclear program is entirely peaceful but that does not mean that having indorse that resolution now we can only look at tightening the sanctions drip at this particular moment we believe that the sanctions threat because been basically exhausted more sanctions would mean that the international community wants to suffocate the iranian economy and create a humanitarian crisis in iran we can that subscribe to this says foreign minister is sort of the spotlight will be that short. right after the break so stay with us they will go. play.

wings special old french an accessory quick moment. they are ready for a replay. taken off one of their became their nominee. visit shouldn't those people were merging the premiss life. from. around. one to soak another in a free flight. the is eve eve eve eve

. welcome back to the spotlight on the other end of and just to remind you that my guest in the studio today is foreign minister of russia said again a lot of. well we will get back to some foreign policy issues in a couple of minutes but first i have to to read some of the questions we got we got on facebook the questions that our listeners and viewers were sending to you when they found out that you are going to be my guest on the show well question one you literally live on a plane and i know you did so you call it a life. well i call it a life they have no other choice. your family well they don't mind their minds so

they somehow learn to cope with it you know i think so you have a reputation of being a very independent person who writes now is from singapore does he does he still believe in freedom and what's he doing about it and i do believe in freedom i don't know what the gentleman to the mind of mencia. that's supposed to be a very independent person being a minister can the three be independent you're a member of the government you implement the foreign policy which is determined by the president and if you don't do this you cannot be a minister. being independent in the sense of trying to have some time for myself yes and we'll never have a chance like to meet with my friends to play football i like to do downhill skiing and also to go white water rafting in siberia was my it was my

company that's the legend you rafting is later this is a true you still don't have a phone on you when you rafferty you know. we use not to take you know a satellite phone which sometimes by the way ok when when people say you have a reputation of being independent i think you earned this reputation when you were at. representing russia in the u.n. and here's another letter i remember lover i was rare with the un homme charles about not being allowed to smoke in the u. n. building and ask him if he ever tried to quit smoking. a small camacho less than i did before. and i think this is healthy. for the. question relates to. i wasn't actually revolting i was insisting that the decisions of the general assembly be respected because smoking areas in the un building has been subject to

a decision by the general assembly and that's and that's as for as for. being independent during my years in the united nations if what is meant is being independent from pressure from any other member of the security council then yes that was the case you called the wiki leaks funny fiction well did you really enjoy reading it and any other comments except funny. well i think fine and fine in fiction is the main characteristic of what they feel reading greek critics i don't read much sometimes my assistance find an interesting piece in that we could leaks which relates to the episodes dissipated for example or russian leaders participated and then i think they could look and just. see whether

what was publicly said what was said to us by the potus whether this is correspondingly reflected in their reports back home so you do find truth in a week at least i find some of it well i find sometimes deviations in what is reported they could get them. for and what was said to us. it helps in the diplomatic work well. ok now wiki leaks actually was lost a couple of years ago when your phone conversation with the your u.k. opposite number was made public by the british press this was extraordinary and this was very extravagant can you tell us what exactly did you say to david miller and to what i said to david miliband who was equitation from another foreign minister who visited me just after the war in the caucasus and that and

who was coming from georgia and he shared with me his views of presidency like a should. and i just informed the minute what exactly was said about president saakashvili by my account but it was better and he wasn't well the rest wouldn't i wouldn't comment on ok. another question from facebook jury in the communist era have you mr lavrov been a member in that communist party if yes what made you change your political views yes i was a member of the communist party. i was a member of the party until. the last day of the party. and they still have a memory my party card. by to do use monthly until the last moment and then the party ceased to exist to be the member of the party. frankly speaking we all know that being

a member of the communist party. in the voice of the cynicism. and some primitive them as well was being a member of the communist party and before that of komsomol people couldn't really count on the deuce and kerry especially if the option was diplomacy. almost all miss nature of i never thought that there should be any other way and when there was and come some alone then and. by the way being a member of the party was the come some organization of the soviet foreign ministry and the young communist league sort of yes i just tried you know as young communist leaders of the foreign ministry to have some fun if you wish we organized events being sports be just.

on weekends. some sketches were staged dances. and this this helped you know to bring people together. to make life a bit more interesting you mentioned those stones staging and things i know you play guitar i know you sing i know you love beatles but as a frenchman he says i'm a frenchman i asked she do you like french popular i love french popular news like who. is my favorite. song many others last question from facebook what's your favorite why. i don't i think i am when i read this question i put here scotch because i know you love scotch scotch is ok but also like wine and french italian

russian. i don't want. to be polite. and i think i'm in a good. chili ga ga i like if it is the real separate but also of course california argentina south africa. they don't export much but but they have very good ways ok let's get back to we have some i have time for a couple of foreign affairs issues president medvedev recently said i quote nature is faced with a dilemma it either enters a joint missile defense system with russia or has to put up with new russian strategic deployments close to europe and quote would you agree that the creation of a joint russian nato defense network is the number one challenge for russian diplomacy this year well i think it's a challenge to all of the countries in the your atlantic. it's

a test if you wish on our common the bill it's the thought that it was the remnants of the called war to come from declarations of indivisibility of security to practical implementation of this of this slogan and missile defense is indeed of huge importance because if the managed to do it right you finish the. generally common joint project then i think we will come a long way towards achieving the goal which was the lisbon summit namely to become strategic partners basically we have to elements in our position in this system must be equal. second this system must not create any risks for the strategic

arsenals of the russian federation eve this through. resolved positively believe we will achieve. success but if you fail and if negotiations be to be in and they would only be used as a cover for nato american missile defense system which ignores the russian interests then of course. we would have no other choice but to take measures to protect those last question one of the main threats one of the main challenges for russia's security coming from from the south is the drug traffic from afghanistan we have been hearing from nato representatives that if we try to fight the drug production of get us then this puts people out of work and they join the taliban so it is bad for for establishing establishing the peace process there

how do you cope with it do you agree with such a position you know i don't believe that american colleagues become a bit more aware of the need. production. chain you know starting from the poppy plantations and into the street dealers. for example in colombia the americans puts them for says on the already creating the cocoa plantations and they don't really raise the issue of colombian peasants getting out of work. ever sing this possible we cannot allow. the drugs from of gonna stand to ruin. population population of central asian countries population if you're a peon countries. and some of it of course gets to the united states itself. the presidents must receive compensation no doubt about it it's much more difficult

than just that they'll them continue to grow. we don't secure a boat you leave but the peasants must receive assistance they must receive financial material assistance the must be no excuse you know not to block each element of the drug production sherry thank you mr thank you very much for being with us and just to remind you that my guest today was foreign minister of the russian federation. and that's it for now from all of us if you want to have your say on spotlight you can always. be back with more common thought of what's going on outside russia until then stay up and take a seat. it's

official being used to a digital arms reduction treaty between moscow and washington isn't forcing them to sign sixteen ratification documents. opposition groups remain on the streets after the deadline for all parties to resign comes and goes egypt's future looks uncertain. and as the british prime minister says multiculturalism has failed one british town braces for a civil saying it's rallies by hundreds of anti islam announcing. a very warm welcome this is live from moscow with me on his habits and historic

russia u.s. nuclear disarmament deal has finally come into force at a high profile security conference in munich the long negotiated truce he means moscow and washington will cause the number of heads to around one and a half how's indeed. was going off joins us live now from germany because it is it significant that this historic moment took place in germany. well the fact that the exchange of these ratification documents happened here in munich is no coincidence right after the change itself u.s. secretary hillary clinton said that germany itself was divided for for many decades during that called war since the second ward war and it's quite symbolic that russia and the united states chose this location to the shores of all rules that the or moving closer towards each other know that this. ratification.