WASHINGTON, Feb 4: Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said on Monday Russia would help the United States to identify threats like those cited in President George W. Bush’s “axis of evil” speech but cautioned against “imaginary” dangers.

“We’d like to cooperate and identify all threats if any,” Kasyanov said after meeting Bush at the White House. “Of course we should identify dangers, real dangers rather than imaginary,” he said.

Bush in his State of the Union speech last Tuesday targeted Iran, Iraq and North Korea as an “axis of evil” committed to developing weapons of mass destruction that could be used for terrorism, a charge rejected by the three states.

Russia has reacted with skepticism, saying the Bush offensive could weaken the international anti-terrorism coalition and it accused the administration of a double standard that ignored countries of concern to Moscow, including Saudi Arabia.

Asked whether the threats Bush linked to Iran, Iraq and North Korea were “imaginary,” Kasyanov declined to comment.

“Our position is, sure we should identify dangers, those you mentioned or others. We should provide evidence to each other and to assure all others that those threats really exist,” he said.

“Our defense people, our intelligence people, will exchange information and we will deal (with) those issues so that we will be sure that we correctly identify all problems,” Kasyanov said.

Kasyanov said he and Bush also worked on the U.S. president’s spring visit to Russia, where Bush will hold a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kasyanov said the leaders were working on the outlines of a new strategic relationship, encompassing U.S. missile defense aims and mutual pledges to reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles.—Reuters