Building trust first step for new U.S.-Russia partnership, says former defense minister

WASHINGTON, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen said building trust was the first step for the United States and Russia to forge a better relationship which would be significant for global peace and stability.

The main obstacle for a new and better U.S.-Russia partnership is the "deep distrust," Cohen said in an interview with Xinhua.

"The perceptions on each side are almost like looking at each other through the opposite ends of a telescope," said Cohen, who served as secretary of defense from 1997 to 2001 under Bill Clinton.

Closer military cooperation between the United States and Russia will reduce the chances of conflict, Cohen, said. He recently returned from a trip to Moscow.

The U.S. administration should take a pragmatic approach in "resetting" the relations, Cohen said, ahead of Barack Obama's first visit to Russia as U.S. president.

Obama will visit Moscow from July 6 to 8 for discussions with his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev about ways to reduce the stockpile of nuclear weapons, cooperation on non-proliferation, and resolving differences over the U.S. planned missile defense system in Europe.

Both sides should first build trust and work on issues they can agree on, and defer tougher issues to a later date, Cohen said.

On the missile defense issue that is expected to top the agenda, Cohen said it would be "a mistake" if the U.S. offers to give up previously proposed installation plans in Eastern Europe simply under the Russian promise of future support on the issue of Iran.

Instead, he said Russia needs to take "concrete steps" to show its support on the U.S. position toward Iran, and then Washington and Moscow can discuss how to "restructure" the missile defense system so that Russia could participate in the U.S. plan. Other U.S. officials suggested earlier this year that the missile shield in Europe could incorporate Russian radars or use a Russian site.

Cohen said the two sides could work harder on their common interests to improve bilateral ties.

Both sides could join hands to tackle the global financial crisis, improve foreign direct investment both in Russia and in the United States, and strenghthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism, piracy in the Gulf of Aden, and nuclear proliferation, he said.

In a speech in Moscow last Saturday, the Chairman of U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, called on the Russian side to support a new defense relationship with the United States to make the world more stable.

Mullen cited the "rapidly changing" security environment in the world for "joint leadership" between the former Cold War foes.