" Today, Russia, together with the USA, forms the core of the antiterror coalition. Russia joined the struggle with this challenge of our century even earlier than the USA, withstanding a wave of unjustified criticism", he told the conference on US-Russian relations, organized by Columbia and Harvard universities on Saturday.
"The terrorists attacking the west do not encroach on the integrity of western states, whereas the terrorists who occupied the North Caucasus in the early 1990s are set on dismembering Russia", he stressed.
"If interests really matter, then it's high time to clearly formalize the status of relations at last. It is beyond doubt that such cooperation would change the world for the better," he stated.
The senator recalled that Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Israel and Argentina enjoy the status of "a key ally - non-NATO member".
The conference is being held in Arden House, the estate of US prominent statesman and diplomat Averell Harriman outside New York.
