The list of dignitaries set to visit Moscow includes Defense Secretary William Perry, Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy and Undersecretary of State Strobe Talbott, as well as the American ambassador to the UN, Madeleine Albright, and a number of key senators and congressmen.
"We expect this summit to be intense and really useful and we are now gearing up for it," the diplomat said. "It will be an effort to build the partnership forward as well as to consolidate where we have come."
He added that he believed the summit would concentrate on issues of trade and investment as well as further progress in the sphere of arms control. But one of the summit's central issues will be the coordination of the two countries' foreign policies.
Russia has often complained in the past year that the United States failed to notify it of major actions it was undertaking in Bosnia and other international hot spots. The U.S. diplomat said he expected steps to be taken at the summit that will formalize U.S.-Russian relations in this sphere by setting up new coordination bodies.
Before the summit, both presidents will address the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York on Sept. 26.
Ambassador Albright will arrive on Sept. 4 after visiting Eastern Europe and the Caucasus to discuss possible steps to resolve conflicts in Georgia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Defense Secretary Perry's visit will be concerned with the practical aspects of possible joint U.S.-Russian peacekeeping operations. Upon his arrival Sept. 6, Perry is expected to fly with Russian Defense Minister Pavel Grachev to the Totsk testing ground in northern Russia, where 250 Russian and 250 American soldiers from the two nations' peacekeeping units will conduct an exercise.
The exercise has drawn sharp criticism from Russian nationalists objecting to the presence of American troops on Russian territory. In response, the U.S. diplomat pointed out that it followed the first-ever visit to an Air Force base in Louisiana by Russian strategic bombers last week.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.