Everyone must hoe his plot daily.

Therefore, I do not think we should go only 60 years back but should look deeper, centuries back. Maybe this will give us [Russia and Japan] an opportunity to look at the future from a more remote perspective.

No matter who uses chemical weapons against people and organisations, the international community must formulate a common policy and find a solution that would make the use of such weapons impossible for anyone.

[Egon] Bahr even said: If Russia agreed to the NATO expansion, he would never come to Moscow again.

I stress that we unambiguously support strengthening the non-proliferation regime, without any exceptions, on the basis of international law.

Everyone must hoe his plot daily.

I keep [portraits of Jigoro Kano and a bust] at home, in my residence, where I live permanently. It's a very good, high-quality work by a Russian sculptor, depicting not just a strong-willed but also thoughtful and kind man.