Russia and the Modern World

Russia and the Modern World We the modern generation of the Russian Federation people have been granted a tremendous heritage that was deserved, fight for, and earned by the persistence and efforts of our ancestors, sometimes even at the price of difficult challenges and enormous casualties. We dispose of a vast territory, impressive amount of natural resources, solid industrial potential, impressive list of high achievements in the areas of science, cutting edge technology, education and art. Also, we have on our disposal the army and fleet with glorious history, nuclear weapons, and powers authority, which had significant and sometimes decisive role in the historical events. th This year we celebrate the 65 Anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War our name for the WWII. This important jubilee will remind us on a fact that our modernity was considered as the future by our freedom fighting heroes. It also remind us that, people who once managed to defeat strong and vicious enemy, must also win the battle over the corruption and backwardness, thus making our country modern and prosperous. For the sake of Russia, we managed to unite our homeland, and to terminate political turbulences. Nowadays, Russia is not semiparalized, badly ruled country, as it were ten years ago. Although, all social systems are functioning, there are many obstacles to overcome. Large-scale tasks are awaiting Russia, not only on internal, but also on the international level as well. I would like to discuss in details this aspect of foreign policy. The modern world is going through fundamental and dynamic changes which are deeply interfering as well as with the interests of Russian Federation and its citizens. After having taken a firm stand in defending national interests of its own, rejuvenated Russia regained its corresponding rank in global events. In such circumstances, the foreign policy transformed itself into a most important instrument of country s progress, ensuring its competence in the world process of globalization. Russia has a permanent membership in the UN s Security Council; it is a participating country of the Group of Eight, and a member of a variety of other influential international and regional organizations and mechanisms for securing the interstate dialogue and cooperation. Russia is in the possession of a substantial potential and resources from all areas of life activities, and intensely develops relations with leading countries and organizations, united from all over the world, being in the process of consistent integration into world s politics and economy at the same time. In addition, Russia exerts a significant influence on the creating new international relationships structures. The reaction of Western World s loss of its historical monopoly on the process of globalization reflects, among the other things, even in the inertia of political and psychological inertia of Russian policy of refrain, including the attempts of using a selective historical approach, especially for the WWII and postwar period. The task of creating a unison vision of a contemporary epoch of history, by the International community, appears to be important as it has never been before. This can be achieved solely by open and straight discussions on essential issues, facing the human kind. Securing the conditions is needed for the professional work of experts, who are working on establishing the historical justice. Also, we must not allow historical themes to turn into instrument of pragmatic politics. The strategy of Western World s one sided activities destabilizes international piece, causes the tension and arms race, worsens already degraded interstate relationships, boosts national and religious disputes. Among the other things, it is imposing a threat to other countries security, leading towards increasing the international tensions. The use of force without Security Council s consent and by transgressing the UN Statute cannot eradicate deeply enrooted socio-economical, interethnic and other contradictions, which are the core of any conflict. The enforcing of coercive measures tends to 1

undermine the International law s fundamental elements, widening the conflict area, thus affecting the near geopolitical environment of Russia. Russia will continue with strengthening of multilateral principle in international affairs and supporting a creation and embedding of such structure, based on the indivisibility principle of safety, recognized by the International community, within international relationships, supporting the diversity of modern world. The Russian Federation disposes of actual potential enabling its appropriate rank in the world. The elements having a crucial importance in achieving of this goal are: ensuring the statehood of Russia, stable economic growth, further political and economical transformation, solving the social issues, overcoming the resource-raw material oriented economy and shifting of its orientation towards the path of innovative development, as well as improving the demographic condition. Equally important are stabilizing the institutions of civil society and state support for NGOs, interested in representing foreign interests of Russia. Russia is advocating open, predictable and pragmatic foreign politics that stems from its national interests. Its foreign cooperation is based on the principles of equality and mutual respect of interests and benefits. The peculiarity of Russia s foreign policy is its fine balance and multiple orientation due to Russian geopolitical position of being the largest Eurasian state, being among world s leading countries and permanent member of UN s Security Council. The interests of some country, in accordance with modern conditions, determine the necessity of active promoting of a positive schedule by the total spectrum of international issues. Russia is completely aware of its responsibility of keeping the safety in the world on the regional and global level, and with other countries, it strives towards mutual solving of general issues. If partners are not willing to participate in the joint activities, then Russia will be forced to act on its own in order to protect its interests, but always keeping them in accordance with international law. Russia will not join any expensive confrontation, nor again find itself in a new arms race, destructive for economy and devastating for country s internal development. Russia is interested in a building of international relations, based on the principles of equality, mutual respect of interests and benefits among the countries, also showing an interest for a system build on the basis of the International Law. That system must be able to provide equal safety for each member of International Community in political, military, economic, informational humanitarian and every other means. The driving force of such system is a multilateral diplomacy. In the 21 st century, the regulating centre for international relations and coordination of politics of the highest level, also should remain the institution of UN that has proved its irrepleacebility, possessing the unique legitimacy. Russia also supports efforts focused on strengthening this organization s central and coordinating role. Russia also pays great attention to increasing the possibility of managing the world development, and to the creation of the self regulating systems. This idea demands collective leadership of all leading world s countries, making it representative both in a geographic and civilization sense. The leadership must be in full compliance with the UN s central and coordinating role. Russia consistently represents strengthening of legal basis in the international relations, fully abiding the international legal obligations. The support and strengthening of the International Legislative is one of the priorities of Russian foreign politics. The governing of the law aims at ensuring a peaceful and fruitful cooperation among the states, mutually respecting the balance of interest even though they do not 2

interfere, also having in the consideration the IC s interests. The abiding of the International Law is crucial for securing the interests of our country, its citizens and legal entities. Russia plans to: - to win respect from the international relations participating parties and whole international community; fight against the transgressing of International Law by states, international organizations, illegal unions, and persons. In the turbulent conditions of globalization and threats to the safety, the role of UN as a universal securing mechanism of the International Law is ever increasing. - To resist group and single state attempts to revise general norms of the International Law, written in fundamental documents: UN Statute, Declaration on Principles of International Law and in OSCE Final Act from 1975. It is extremely dangerous for international peace and order of the law to interpret at free will these norms and principles of the International Law, like abandonment of application and threatening by the military force, peaceful resolving of conflicts, respecting the sovereignty of countries and their territorial integrity, nation s right to choose its own way in the future. This also includes attempts of presenting the transgressions of the International Law as its way of creative interpreting. These activities undermine the authority and purpose of the International Law itself. Russia is keen on decreasing the factor of strength within the international relations, with the mutual increasing of the strategic stability at the same time. For the sake of these purposes the Russian Federation: Strictly abides its international obligations in accordance with international agreements on Nonproliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, arms control and disarmament. The obligations of Russia also include: taking measures for building a mutual trust in the military sphere, participating in the development and signing of new agreements in these aforementioned areas on the basis of equality and indivisibility of security, corresponding to its national interests. Russia is affirming stability of its course of striving towards creating a multilateral basis for nonproliferation of nuclear and all kinds of mass destructive weapons; Russia advocates the prohibition of producing, developing and colleting of a bacteriological (biologic) weapons and its destruction. Russia also advocates a convention on developing prohibition of producing, developing and colleting of chemical weapons and supports its destruction. Russia finds this as to be the best way of developing the contemporary progress, taking in consideration the forming multiplicity, and diversity of risks and threats, of solving the issues of strategic stability, not just between the Russian Federation and the USA, but among the all leading countries as well, especially those which are nuclear powers, interested in mutual activities of securing the global safety. This is the key point of strategic openness, which is the cornerstone of every Russian initiative, including the resistance to the possible missile threats posing to Europe and giving the global status to the Agreement on destroying the middle and short range missiles between the USA and SSSR, signed in 1987. The aim of Russian Federation is contributing the European regional stability via participating in the process of limiting the conventional armament as well as applying the measures of increase trust in the military sphere based on the abiding of the principle of all sides equal safety. Russia s outset is that only the UN Security Council has the right to impose sanctions for force continuum with goal to force the peace. 3

Russia consideration is that the article 51 of the UN Statute must remain as the legal basis for using a force as a mean of self-defense in the same form, including conditions when a threat to peace as a result of terrorism and dissemination weapon of mass destruction exists. Russia will fight for political and diplomatic way of conflict resolving on the base of collective activities of the International Community, starting from the point that the actual conflicts have no military solution. Their solution should be searched by including all parties to the dialog, but without isolating any of them. Russia fights consistently against illegal drug trafficking and against organized crime, in cooperation with other countries in multilateral format, first of all within the special international authorities as well as on the bilateral basis. As an multinational and multi religious state, Russia contributes to the dialog development and partnership among cultures, religious and civilizations, and consistently complies in the direction of the framework of UN, UNESCO, OSCE, Council of Europe and of other international and regional organization, in the contest of cooperation with the Organization of Islamic Conference, supports adequate initiatives of a civil society, cooperates actively with Russian Orthodox Church and other basic confessions in the country. Russia has stabile tempo of economic growth, mostly founded on internal market demands, financial and natural possibilities. That significantly contributes in providing stability to the global economy and finances. After joining the WTO and to the OECD, Russia intents to help actively in creating fair democratic trade and monetary system for its full and efficient participation. Main priority of the Russian Federation policy in the sphere of international economic relations is support of developing of national economies in the condition of globalization by providing equal rank of the country and Russian business in the world economic relations. Russia considers that stabile social-economic development of all countries is essential part of the contemporary system of collective security and starts from the point that international development must be governed to search for efficient ways for misbalance abolition in developing of different regions. For that purposes, Russia, using its donor potential, actively contributes to international development on both the multilateral and bilateral level. the main goal of Russian international policy on the level of European directions is realization of an open democratic system of common regional and collective security and cooperation, which would provide the Euro-Atlantic regional unity from Vancouver to Vladivostok, and will not again permit a fragmentation and repeating blocks approaches, inertias, still felt in actual structure of European politics after the finishing of the Cold War. Initiative to conclude an agreement on European security is taken. Its program development would be initiated on the European summit. Russia advocates for reaching the real European unity, without a separation lines, providing equal cooperation between Russia, E U and USA. That would contribute to strengthening position of the states in Euro Atlantic region under the condition of global concurrence. Russia, as the biggest European multiethnic and multi religious state, is ready to contribute by providing a harmonic integration of religious minority in Europe, taking in consideration actual migration tendencies. In the military political sphere Russia will fight for correction of an imbalance on the field of limitation of conventional arms and military forces in Europe and in the field of adopting new trust measures. 4

Russian Federation will develop relationships with EU as its one of its basic trades, economy and foreign policy partner. Russia will intercede in favor of universal mechanisms of strengthening the cooperation, including creating of common areas in the fields of economy, foreign and internal security, education, culture and sciences. Harmonizing the Accord on Strategic Partnership with European Union belongs in the sphere of long-term Russian s interests, and it would establish the most efficient forms of equal cooperation with EU on the basis of mutual benefit in all fields with perspective of establishing no visa free regime in the future. Russian Federation is interested in EU strengthening, strengthening its capacity to cope with a common state in the spheres of trade, economy, humanitarian aid, foreign affairs and security. Russia is open for further development of cooperation with states of Middle, East and South East Europe including, of course, cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina for enlargement of the pragmatic, mutual and respected cooperation with prerequisite to exist a real redness for it in each of both countries. During recent Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Mr. Sergei Lavrov s visit to B&H, it was confirmed that Moscow and Sarajevo had common aspiration towards development of our relationships. The economic relations are developed today more successfully between Russia and Republic of Srpska, but in the close future we expect the same level of economical relations with Federation of BH too. This conclusion is made on the basis of interest among BH businessmen and on interest of Russian business, which already starts to realize concrete projects here. We have the mutual understanding for a necessity of activating the Intergovernmental Commission s actions to establish direct contacts between business environments in Russia and in BIH. Minister Lavrov greeted his Bosnian and Herzegovinian colleagues with the election of B&H for nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council in next two years. We expect a good cooperation in this UN body, responsible for keeping international peace and security. The B&H election as a nonpermanent member of Security Council particularly actualizes the issue that BH authorities would take responsibility for the future of their own country in their hands and that they would completely become completely free from the outer supervision. In that sense Russia, as an active member of Council for Implementation of Peace Agreement, makes efforts for transformation of OHR to the Mission of Special Representative of EU as soon as possible. The Conditions for the process already exist. Principles and criteria of OHR transformation to the Mission of EU Special Representative, approved in the frame of Steering Committee, have been actively fulfilled actively. Only one or two questions remain to be solved. We are convinced that on the base of Dayton and on the base of consensus between two entities and three constitutive people, these questions can be solved in near future. In the last period some ideas appeared which are out of frame agreed by Steering Committee. Our position towards them and towards any other opinions is simple: we will support only position agreed by consensus of citizens of Bosnia as well as position being subject of constructive negotiations, mutual respected dialogue and result of general agreement. A liberalization of outer guardianship will increase possibilities, first of all, for citizens of Bosnia themselves, to participate actively in resolving general European issues. We have many common interests with Bosnia and Herzegovina, including Balkan s issue and the problem of general European security, including Russian initiative a new agreement regarding this issue to be conclude. Russia is the member of the Steering Board of the Council for Peace Implementation Agreement and within the frame of the Agreement the decisions were accepted, supported by both entities and by three peoples as well. Decisions contain the principles and necessary conditions for OHR transformation, as well as conditions for elimination of the Bonn s Measures, providing all question related to Bosnia 5

and Herzegovina to be resolved by citizens of Bosnia themselves without outside supervision. It is step left behind needed to strengthen the BH statehood and to shift responsibility for the state in the hand of citizens of Bosnia themselves. Regarding BH entrance in any international structure, we consider that such decisions have to be made by BH side itself. Before the beginning of any discussions of this type, it would be logical to resolve the issue of termination of the High Representative s mandate and completion of the Bonn s measures, which become an obstacle on the way of BH state strengthening. This should be done at least to give opportunity to BH citizens to make sovereign decisions about ways of future development their foreign policy by themselves instead on the base of some coerced decisions. The end of mandate of High Representative in any sense will not mean that international community will forget Bosnia and Herzegovina. Agreed scheme of establishing the EU High Representative Office provides harmonized transition towards such cooperation with international community which will not consider interfering in internal affairs of the country any more. Evaluating the role of NATO in the realistic way, Russia starts from the importance of progressive development of mutual cooperation within the frame of the Council Russia- NATO, within the interest of providing the stability in Euro-Atlantic Area and for the maximal exploitation of the potentials for political dialogue as well as for practical cooperation in resolving questions of reaction on common threat terrorism, enlargement of arms for massive destruction, on regional conflicts, drag trafficking, on natural an civilization catastrophes. Russia will built relations with NATO taking in consideration a level of readiness of Alliance for equal partnership, obliged respect of principles and norms of international law, fulfilling obligations taken on all NATO members within the frame of Council Russia NATO, regarding issue that they will not insure their security on the way to the security of Russian Federation as well as fulfill the obligation on military reservation. Russia retains its negative position towards enlargement of NATO including plans for possible join to Alliance by Georgia and Ukraine. Russia also has negative position on question of approaching of the NATO military structure towards the Russian border in general. This violates a principle of equal security and leads toward establishing new confines in Europe and it is opposite on tasks for increasing effectiveness in common activities for searching the response on new challenges of modern time. Last year Russia proposed an array of concrete initiatives which have to increase new just marked positive tendencies in the world. We succeed to initiate serious thinking on initiative made by President of Russian Federation Dimitri Medvedev about conclusion an agreement on European Security. Meaning of our proposals is very simple to formulate common method of activity within unconsolidated structure of the European Security. It would be done in stead on the level of military potentials to be done on the level if the institutions of international law by the making of a transition in the field of law the whole series of obligations, taken by countries of Euro- Atlantic region during the last 20 years. Our everlasting tasks are: strengthening of our relationships with partners in the Community of Independent States, considering this year s Russian presidency in this organization. Also our priorities are deepening of our strategic partnerships with EU, developing of multivectoral collaboration with China and our other partners from the BRIC country association, achieving of solid results in the work of the Anglo-Russian presidency commission and many others. 6

All our diplomatic efforts will be directed towards realizing the final goal of Russian foreign politics, and that is creating of favorable conditions for the development of our country. By apart of this task, the President of the Russian Federation will appoint the task of tighter connecting of the activities of foreign politics with needs of modernizing the country and economic transition towards the innovative development. The year that follows will not be simple concerning the field of international relationships, because contemporary global political processes are so contradictory. Unfortunately, conflicts will stay with us: the war in Afghanistan continues, there is no sight of peace in the Middle East. The tensions concerning the Iranian and North Korean nuclear program are still present, while solution of the Iraqi conflict is not within the sight. Already mentioned natural calamity urges us to unite our forces for creating a network that will prevent such disasters. Several years ago, after the devastating tsunami struck the region of South East Asia, Russia gave a wide array of proposals. They were taken into consideration, but soon left to oblivion. I think that after the tragedy which strike Haiti, there is no more space left for doubts. Well, there are a plenty of tasks ahead of us. We intent to work creatively and initiatively, being open and ready to develop a constructive dialogue with anyone who wants the same, but of course based on the mutual respect, equality and benefit. 7