Russia wants no civil society lectures from US

MOSCOW, January 22 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian-US taskforce on civil
society will meet for the first time in Washington next week and Moscow
hopes the work will not boil down to U.S lecturing on civil society.
"We shall not instruct each other what is to be done and what is not
to be done. We shall not deliver lectures. That is not the aim of the
taskforce," Kremlin first deputy chief-of-staff Vladislav Surkov, who
co-chairs the taskforce, said in an interview with Izvestia published on
Friday.
He said the first meeting will discuss anti-corruption fight, crime
against children, and negative stereotypes and myths in bilateral
relationship.
"We have concrete statistics on all agreed issues, we have assessment
criteria, and they are all actual for both Russia and the United States.
We have what to tell each other," Surkov said.
The parties have agreed the principles and guidelines of activities
and "the American side demonstrates correct and benevolent attitude to our
joint activities. We, on our side, shall do everything possible to make
the work successful," Surkov said.

-0-nec