VIENNA, December 13. /TASS/ Russia expects responsible participation and negotiability from its US counterparts working in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) under Washington’s new administration, Russian Permanent Representative to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich told TASS, discussing cooperation with the United States in 2021.

As Lukashevich recalled, Soviet and US diplomats jointly with Europeans contributed greatly to the birth of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe in the mid-1970s (CSCE - the original name of the OSCE - TASS), when they managed to overcome ideological differences and agree on the need to build intergovernmental relations on a mutually respectful basis without meddling in domestic affairs.

"It has always been challenging to deal with the Americans. But we are not afraid of substantive work even with the most difficult partners. In fact, that is why the OSCE was created - to overcome differences of opinion and seek compromises that will enable the countries to cooperate more for the sake of peace and security," the Russian diplomat said.

"What I would like to see is greater negotiability of American counterparts and their responsible participation in the OSCE. If one works this way, everyone will find a decent place in this organization," Lukashevich stated.

The diplomat noted that his work experience in the OSCE shows that it is possible to pursue a constructive dialogue with the Americans regarding key security issues.

"The US doesn't like to talk about its role in European security’s degradation. However, they made the main problems, in fact, by creating a crisis and undermining the strategic security system. At the same time, there are a lot of problems on the part of Washington regarding the OSCE. This is the destruction of a legal basis for the arms control treaty, and the last escapade with the withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty, interference in affairs and destabilization of independent countries, human rights violation and the clampdown on media freedom," Lukashevich stressed.