The proposals, outlined in a speech by Sergei Ivanov, Russia's deputy prime minister and a former defense minister, marked a shift in tone and content, compared with a speech last week by President Vladimir Putin and a speech Putin delivered at the Munich Security Conference here a year ago.
In both cases, Putin had spoken of a new arms race, laying the blame squarely on the United States, particularly its plans to base pieces of an anti-ballistic missile shield in Eastern Europe.
But Sunday, Ivanov, speaking in English in the presence of Robert Gates, the U.S. defense secretary, and scores of foreign and defense ministers, adopted a new style. He said Russia and the United States had a long tradition in dealing with security issues that should not be wasted.
"I am firmly convinced that making use of the Russia-American strategic heritage as a ground for creating a modern, open collective security system, also in Europe, represents a reasonable alternative to unilateral destruction of its potential," Ivanov said.
In particular, he said SALT 1 - the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks - should be replaced by a program "capable at ensuring the highest possible predictability" and that it should be legally binding. Over time, Ivanov added, the reduction of strategic weapons should move to the multilateral level as more countries obtain such weapons: "As I see it, this is precisely an area of international relations where Russia and the United States not merely could, but are directly obliged to show leadership."
Ivanov, who is now responsible for overseeing the modernization of the economy, also said the United States and Russia were making headway in including more countries in the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. Russia, he said, also intended to delay a draft treaty on the non-militarization of space at the Conference on Disarmament talks in Geneva.
But he also indicated that Russia would start participating again in the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty, after it pulled out of it two months ago. That treaty, which includes the United States, Europe and the countries of the former Soviet Union, is considered a cornerstone of European security. The softer tone, which surprised many of the participants, came at a crucial juncture in relations between Russia and the United States.
Complicating that relationship are the U.S. presidential election campaign - in which only Senator John McCain, the Republican front runner, has called for the United States and the Europeans to forge a united policy toward Russia - the Russian presidential elections of March 2 and the issue of Kosovo's independence.
Kosovo is expected to declare independence from Serbia soon, a move that will be recognized by the United States and most of Europe. Ivanov, repeating Putin's warnings, said independence, which is opposed by Serbia, would open a "Pandora's box" in the region.
But the Kremlin has failed to put forward any concrete alternatives to breaking the deadlock between Serbia and Kosovo, except to continue negotiations.
Ivanov's call for closer relations with the United States reflected a growing confidence by the Kremlin, diplomats at the conference said. Flush with cash from the high price of oil - Ivanov said Russia's goal and currency reserves were approaching almost $500 billion - the deputy prime minister said that he expected Russia's "influence on global processes to continue to grow, at least we hope."
Some participants at the conference said Russia was signaling to the United States that it was determined to be treated by Washington as an equal partner with super power status.
"Here was Russia saying to the U.S., 'You should listen to us,' " said Wolfgang Ischinger, the German ambassador to Britain who until recently was the EU's special envoy involved in trying to reach a compromise with Moscow over its opposition to independence for Kosovo. Some countries in Europe have criticized Russia for the way it has used its new wealth. Ivanov said those concerns were misplaced.
"I would like to say straight away that we are not masterminding any kind of energy expansion," Ivanov said. "We simply do our best to achieve maximum economic benefits in the existing situation."
Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief who was sharing the panel with Ivanov, questioned Russia's political use of its energy. "Sometimes I think Russia is investing in future leverages instead of future production," Solana said.
Ivanov also dismissed concerns that Russia was aiming "to buy the entire Old World with our petrodollars." Yet only last month, Gazprom signed contracts with Bulgaria and Serbia in which the company will gain control of large parts of the energy assets in both countries.
