MUNICH, Feb 10: Russia is not seeking confrontation with the West, but the resurgent country still intends to punch its weight on the world stage, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Sunday.

In a speech to the annual Munich Conference on Security Policy where President Vladimir Putin last year gave a speech blasting the United States Ivanov played down renewed tensions.

“I am sure that everyone here clearly realises that the process of Russia’s revival objectively combines our ambition to occupy an appropriate place in world politics and commitment to maintain our national interests,” he said.

“We do not intend to meet this challenge by establishing military blocs or engaging in open confrontation with our opponents,” he said.

Bones of contention include Washington’s plans to set up an anti-missile shield on Russia’s European doorstep, which the United States says is needed to pre-empt attacks from “rogue states”, chiefly Iran, but which Moscow has dubbed a security threat.

Russia has said it could point missiles at Poland and the Czech Republic, which are expected to host bases for the shield.

Moscow has also warned it will step up its weapons programme: Putin on Friday said Russia would respond to the “new challenge” with “new weapons that are qualitatively the same or better than those of other countries”.

Speaking on the same panel as Ivanov, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana signalled Western concerns.

“I was not very happy with the speech of Mr Putin on the subject of the arms race. I don’t think it was very constructive,” Solana said.

Washington and Moscow have also fallen out over Russia’s softly-softly approach to Iran’s contested nuclear programme, and over US support for the independence for Kosovo, which the Kremlin deeply opposes.

In Europe, concerns have been growing about Russia’s energy market clout, but Ivanov downplayed the issue.“Getting richer, Russia will not pose a threat to the security of other countries. Yet our influence on global processes will continue to grow,” he said.

EU worries are currently focused on Moscow’s battle of wills with pro-Western Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, as Russia threaten to cut its gas supplies over unpaid debts.

However, Ivanov said: “Partners can rest assured that Russia has been strictly fulfilling and will continue to fulfil all its commitments regarding energy supplies”.

“Moreover, we do our best to develop our export potential and make it free from the political conditions in certain transit countries,” he added.—AFP