Russia: We’re not a threat

The Japanese are welcome, according to a senior Russian diplomat, provided the initiative does not become an anti-Soviet slanging effort. The second secretary at the Soviet embassy in Canberra, Mr Vladimir Valkov, told PIM: “Personally, I would welcome Japanese moves economically and with aid as long as it does not become an anti-Soviet campaign.”

He said it was “obvious the Soviet Union can’t create a threat to anybody in the (South Pacific) region not to Australia or New Zealand. Threats are not what we’re looking for and we don’t make an exception for South Pacific countries. We are looking for normal relations.”

Mr Valkov said the Soviet Union had no special approach to the South Pacific but that it was an integral part of their overall Pacific policy. Looking at the Oceanic countries, he said, Russia had realised that their relationships were all but non-existent with no political dialogue, virtually no economic exchanges and no cultural understanding.

“We saw this as abnormal,” said Mr Valkov. “We don’t see why the Soviet Union should be excluded from co-operation, why the Soviet Union should be excluded from the region.”

At the time of the interview, Russia and Vanuatu were on the verge of signing their fishing agreement with the text virtually settled. The Russians were awaiting the final word from Port Vila.

After the initial talks in Sydney, Australia’s foreign minister, Mr Bill Hayden, had warned Vanuatu that it lacked the resources to counter possible political manipulation if it went ahead with the deal under which the Soviet Union would be granted port access.

Mr Hayden, in a three-day visit to New Zealand, repeated remarks he had earlier made in an interview with PIM (July, page 23): “The Soviet Union on the

ground, on past experience, will take the opportunity to engage in activity other than commercial activity.”

However, Vanuatu’s prime minister, Fr Walter Lini rejected the warning and described Mr Hayden’s remarks as “Australian paranoia” that was both naieve and paternalistic.

The previous fishing agreement between Russia and a Pacific island nation ended when Kiribati rejected a Soviet renewal offer of US$l million substantially less than the $2.4 million paid the previous year.

Mr Valkov: ‘There was speculation that we paid this money to Kiribati just to be able to get close but any deal is considered from the point of view of economic efficiency. And if we are not satisfied with the result, as with Kiribati, we will not pay this sum of money.

“We are not going to pay anything just to be here. If we pay for fishing rights, we want fish.

“I understand what politicians say about so-called Soviet penetration, the threats to the stability of the South Pacific, to the sovereignty of South Pacific nations, but sometimes the politicians don’t believe in it them selves.”

He said the situation in the South Pacific was changing and “the general attitude towards the Soviet Union has changed. People can’t understand why they can’t trade with the Soviet Union and receive ambassadors.”

The Soviets have also invited Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and other island states to participate in a broad range of trade links. But the reception so far has been cool, though nobody has yet given a definite ‘no’.

Mr Valkov said Russia was one of the world’s largest, if not the largest, fishing nations with over 100 fishery agreements with other countries. He said he was “quite astonished” that the recent signing of an important fishing agreement with Canada had not worried anyone.

Helen Fraser