CONCEPTION OF THE FOREIGN POLICY
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Summary:
The foreign policy concept is a thoroughgoing description of the bases and
objectives of Russian foreign policy. The document details the legal basis for policy
and proceeds to describe the current status of the international system and the
objectives for the Russian state within it. Current Russian foreign policy is detailed
before a description of Russian priorities in the settlement of global problems,
formation of a stable system of international relations, strengthening international
security, international economic relations, human rights and international relations,
and information support for foreign policy activity. Regional priorities are outlined,
as are the means of building and implementing Russian foreign policy.
1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Conception of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation represents a system of
opinions on the contents and major guidelines of the foreign-policy activity of the
Russian Federation.
The legal base of the present Conception is formed with the Constitution of the
Russian Federation, Federal Laws, other legal acts of the Russian Federation,
governing the activity of the Federal authorities in the sphere of foreign policy,
generally recognized principles and norms of the international law and the
international treaties of the Russian Federation, as well as the National Security
Conception of the Russian Federation, approved by Decree No. 24 of the President
of the Russian Federation dated January 10, 2000.
The international situation occurred by the start of the XXIst century required reanalysis of the general situation around the Russian Federation, priorities of the
Russian foreign policy and opportunities of its resource support. Along with definite
strengthening of the international positions of the Russian Federation negative
tendencies were also displayed. Some expectations, associated with formation of
new equal, mutually beneficial, and partnership relations of Russia with the
surrounding world, as it was presumed in the basic provisions of the Foreign Policy
Conception of the Russian Federation, approved by Decree № 284-рп of the
President of the Russian Federation dated April 23, 1993 and in other documents,
have not come true.
Protection of the interests of an individual, the society and the State shall be the
supreme priority of the foreign-policy course of Russia. Within the framework of this
process the main efforts shall be targeted at achievement of the following major
targets:
- guarantee of the reliable security of the country, maintenance and strengthening
of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, lasting and weighty positions in the world
community, which to the utmost respond to the interests of the Russian Federation
as a great power, as one of the influential centers of the modern world and which
are necessary
for growth of its political, economic, intellectual and spiritual
potential;
- impact on the all-world processes for the purposes of forming a stable, fair and
democratic order of the world, based on the widely recognized norms of the
international law, first of all including the goals and principles of the UN Charter on
the equal and partnership relations between the States;
creation of favorable environment for progressive development of Russia, growth of
its economy, improvement of the living standard of population, successful
realization of democratic transformations, strengthening of the Constitutional
system fundamentals, and observance of the human rights and freedoms;
- formation of the good-neighborliness band along the perimeter of the Russian
borders, promotion to elimination of the existing and prevention of occurrence of the
potential tension center and conflicts in the regions adjacent to the Russian
Federation;
- seeking for concordance and matching interests with foreign countries and interstate associations within the process of solving the tasks, defined with the National
priorities of Russia, construction of the partnership and allied relations on this basis,
improving the conditions and parameters of the international interaction;
- all-round protection of the rights and interests of the Russian citizens and
compatriots abroad;
- assistance to the positive comprehension of the Russian Federation in the world,
popularization of the Russian language and culture of the peoples’ of Russia in the
foreign States.
II. CONTEMPORARY WORLD AND FOREIGN POLICY OF THE RUSSIAN
FEDERATION
The contemporary world has been experiencing fundamental and dynamic
changes, deeply touching the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens.
Russia is the active participant of this process. Being a standing member of the UN
Security Council, possessing considerable resources in all domains of the life
activities and maintaining intensive relations with the leading States of the world, it
exerts substantial impact on formation of the new system of the world.
Transformation of the international relations, termination of confrontation and
progressive overcoming of the cold war consequences, advance of the Russian
reforms have essentially expanded the opportunities of co-operation in the world
arena.
The economic, political, scientific and technical, environmental and
information factors have been playing bigger and bigger role at retaining the value
of the military force in the relations between the States. The intellectual, information
and communication opportunities, well-being and the educational level of the
population, extent of conjugation of the scientific and industrial resources,
concentration of the financial capital and diversification of the economic contacts of
the Russian Federation have been advancing to the foreground as the main
components of its National power.
There has been formed a stable orientation at the market methods of management
and democratic values in the overwhelming majority of the States. Implementation
of the major break-through in a number of the key lines of the scientific-technical
progress, leading to creation of the uniform all-world information spaces, deepening
and diversification of the international economic contacts attach the global
character to the interdependency of the States. There have been created
preconditions for building a more stable and crisis-resistant system of the world.
At the same time new challenges and threats to the National interests of Russia are
being born in the international domain. There has been increasing the tendency
towards creation of one-polar structure of the world at the economic and powerful
domination of the USA. At solution of the fundamental matters of the international
security the stake is made on the Western institutes and forums of restricted
composition, at weakening of the UN Security Council.
The strategy of one-sided actions may destabilize the international situation;
provoke the tension and the arms race, aggravate the inter-state contradictions, the
national and religious disagreement. Use of force methods in detour of the existing
international legal mechanisms is not capable of removing the depth socialeconomic, inter-ethnic and other contradictions, lying in the basis of the conflicts
and only undermines the fundamentals of the law and order.
Russia will strive for formation of the multiple-polar system of the international
relations, actually reflecting the many-sidedness of the contemporary world with
diversity of its interests.
The mutual account of the interests is the guarantee of the efficiency and reliability
of such system of the world. The world system of the XXI-st century shall be based
on the mechanisms of the collective settlement of the key problems, on the priority
of the rights and wide democratization of the international relations.
The interests of Russia are also immediately associated with other tendencies,
including:
-
globalization of the world economy. Along with the additional opportunities of the
social-economic progress and expansion of human contacts such tendency also
gives way to the new dangers, especially for the economically weakened States;
the probability of the large-scale financial and economic crises keeps increasing.
The risk of dependence of the economic system and information space of the
Russian Federation from the outside impact keeps growing;
-
Strengthening of the role of the international institutes and mechanisms in the
world economy and policy (“Group of the Eight”, International Monetary Fund,
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development), caused with the objective
growth of the States interdependence and with the need of improving the
controllability of the international system. The full-scale and equal participation in
development of the major functioning principles of the world financial and economic
system under the contemporary conditions is in the interests of Russia;
-
development of the regional and sub-regional integration in Europe, Asian
Pacific region, Africa and Latin America. Integration associations acquire higher
and higher significance in the world economy, becoming an essential factor of the
regional and sub-regional integration security and peace-making;
-
military-political competition of the regional powers, growth of separatism,
ethnic-national and religious extremism. The integration processes, in particular in
the European Atlantic region, frequently are of the selective restrictive character.
The attempts to depreciate the role of a sovereign State, as a fundamental element
of the international relations, create a threat of arbitrary interference in a State’s
internal affairs. The problems of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and
their delivery vehicles have reached critical scales. Unsettled or potential regional
and local armed conflicts represent a threat to the international peace and security.
The growth of international terrorism, transnational organized criminality, as well as
the illegal turnover of drugs and weapons start producing considerable effect on the
global and regional stability.
Threats associated with the mentioned tendencies aggravate with limitation of the
resource support of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation, which complicates
successful assertion of its foreign-policy interests and restricts the frames of its
informational and cultural influence abroad.
Along with this the Russian Federation has got a real potential for ensuring a
worthy place in the world. Further strengthening of the Russian State system,
consolidation of the civil society and the fastest transition to the stable economic
growth are of determining value in this aspect.
Within the last decades Russia was able to use additional opportunities of the
international co-operation, opening in the result of the radical changes in the
country, substantially progressed on the way of integration into the system of the
world business links and entered a number of the influential international
organizations and institutes. By way of intensive efforts it has become possible to
strengthen the positions of Russia in the world area by a number of the principle
lines.
The Russian Federation pursues an independent and constructive foreign policy. It
is based on consistency and predictability, mutually beneficial pragmatism. This
policy is maximally transparent; it accounts the legitimate interests of other States
and is targeted at search of mutual decisions.
Russia is a reliable partner in the international relations. Its constructive role in the
settlement of acute international problems is widely recognized.
Balance is a peculiar feature of the Russian foreign policy. It is conditioned with the
geopolitical position of Russia, as one of the biggest Euro-Asian power, requiring
optimal combination of efforts by all lines. Such approach predetermines the
responsibility of Russia for maintenance of peace in the world both at the global
and the regional levels, presumes development and mutual addition of the foreignpolicy activity on the bilateral and multilateral basis.
III. PRIORITIES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION IN SETTLEMENT OF GLOBAL
PROBLEMS
The successful foreign policy of the Russian Federation must be based on
observance of reasonable balance between its goals and opportunities for their
attainment. Concentration of political and diplomatic, military, economic, financial,
and other means on settlement of the foreign-policy tasks is to be proportionate to
their actual value for the national interests of Russia, and the scale of participation
in the international affairs is to be adequate to the actual contribution in
strengthening of the State positions. Variety and complexity of the international
problems and presence of crisis situations presume a timely assessment of the
priority of each of them in the foreign-policy activity of the Russian Federation.
It is necessary to enhance the effectiveness of political, legal, foreign economic and
other protection instruments of the State sovereignty of the Russian Federation and
its National economy in the conditions of globalization.
1. Formation of the New World System
Russia is interested in the stable system of international relations, based on the
principles of equality, mutual respect and mutually beneficial co-operation. This
system is meant for providing reliable security of each member of the world
community in the political diplomatic, military, economic, financial, and other
spheres.
The United Nations Organization shall remain the main governing center of the
international relations in the XXI-st century. The Russian Federation will be
resolutely opposing to the attempts of degrading the role of the UN and its Security
Council in the world affairs.
Strengthening of the UN’s consolidating role in the world presumes:
- steady observance of the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, including
maintenance of the status of the standing members of the UN Security Council;
-
rational reformation of the UN for the purposes of developing its mechanism of
rapid response to the events going-on in the world, including increase of its
opportunities on prevention and settlement of crises and conflicts;
-
further enhancement of the efficiency of the UN Security Council, bearing the
main responsibility for maintenance of the international peace and security,
attachment of bigger representativeness to this body by inclusion of new standing
members in its structure out of the authoritative developing countries in the first
turn. The UN reforming shall proceed from the firmness of the veto right of the UN
Security Council standing members;
-
Russia attaches high importance to its participation in the group of the eight
mostly developed industrial countries (G8). Considering the mechanism of
consultations and co-ordination of positions on the most important problems of the
modern world as one of the essential means of assertion and promotion of its
foreign political interests, the Russian Federation intends to increase its interaction
with the partners by this forum.
2. Strengthening of the International Security
Russia stands for further decrease of the force factor in the international relations at
simultaneous strengthening of the strategic and regional stability. To this end the
Russian Federation:
- will undeviatingly comply with its undertaken obligations on the effective treaties
and agreements in the sphere of limitation and reduction of arms and participate in
the drafting and conclusion of new agreements, meeting both its national interests
and the security interests of other States;
- is ready to go for further reduction of its nuclear potential on the basis of the
bilateral agreements with the USA and - in the multisided format – with involvement
of other nuclear powers, provided that the strategic stability in the nuclear sphere
will not be disturbed. Russia will strive for the reservation and observance of the
Treaty of 1972 on reduction of the anti-missile defense systems, being the corner
stone of the strategic stability. Implementation of the USA’s plans on the creation of
the anti-missile defense of the territory of the country will inevitably force the
Russian Federation to take adequate measures on maintenance of its National
security at the relevant level;
- confirms invariability of its course at participation together with other States in
prevention of proliferation of nuclear weapons, other types of the weapon of mass
destruction, vehicles of its delivery, as well as of the corresponding materials and
technologies. The RF is a firm supporter of strengthening and development of the
relevant international regimes, including the Global Control System over nonproliferation of missiles and missile technologies. The Russian Federation intends
to stand upon its obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
and calls all States of the world to join it;
-
gives particular consideration to such aspect of strengthening the strategic
stability as guarantee of the information security;
-
intends to further on promote strengthening of the regional stability by
involvement in the processes of reduction and limitation of the conventional armed
forces, as well as application of confidence measures in the military domain;
-
considers the international peace-making as an efficient instrument of settling
armed conflicts and stands for strengthening of its legal fundamentals in strict
compliance with the principles of the UN Charter. Maintaining measures on the
build-up and modernization of the UN potential on the rapid anti-crisis response, the
Russian Federation intends to go on with active participation in the operations on
maintenance of peace, held both under the aegis of the United Nations and in
specific cases by regional and sub-regional organizations. The necessity and the
level of such participation will be proportioned to the national interests and
international obligations of the country. Russia proceeds from the condition that it is
only the UN Security Council which has the warrant of sanctioning use of force for
the purposes of coercion to peace;
-
proceeds from the condition that use of force in violation of the UN Charter is
illegitimate and threatens stabilization of all system of the international relations.
Attempts at introducing concepts of “humanitarian intervention” and “restricted
sovereignty” into the international turnover to justify the one-sided power actions in
contravention of the UN Security Council are not acceptable. Being prepared for a
dialogue on perfecting the legal aspects of force application in the international
relations under conditions of globalization, the Russian Federation’s policy
proceeds from the premise that the search for the specific forms of the international
community’s response to various acute situations, including humanitarian crises, is
to be carried out collectively, on the basis of the clear observance of the norms of
the international law and the UN Charter:
-
will participate in the activities on liquidation of natural and technogenic
catastrophes, other emergency situations, as well as in rendering of humanitarian
help to the suffering countries, carried out both under the UN aegis and other
international organizations;
-
considers the fight against the international terrorism, capable of destabilizing
the situation not only in individual states, but also whole regions, as the most
important foreign-policy task. The Russian Federation stands for further working out
of measures on strengthening the interaction of the States in this domain. The
direct responsibility of each State is to protect its citizens against terrorist
encroachments, non-admission into its territory of activities aimed at organizing
similar actions against the citizens and interests of other countries, and nongranting of refuge to terrorists;
-
will be purposively opposed to the illegal turnover of drugs and growth of
organised criminality, co-operating with other States in the multilateral format and
first of all within the framework of the specialized international bodies and at the
bilateral level.
3. International Economic Relations
Assistance to the development of the national economy, which is inconceivable
without the broad inclusion of Russia in the system of the world economic ties in the
conditions of globalization, is the main priority of the foreign policy of the Russian
Federation in the sphere of the international economic relations. To this end it is
necessary:
-
to provide a favorable environment for formation of the market economy in the
country and the renewed foreign economic specialization of the Russian
Federation, which guarantees maximum economic effect from its participation in the
international division of labor;
-
to strive for minimization of risks at further integration of the Russian Federation
in the world economy subject to the necessity of ensuring the economic security of
the country;
-
to assist in the formation of the fair international trade system with the full
participation of the Russian Federation in the international economic organizations,
providing protection of the national interests of the country in them;
-
to promote expansion of domestic exports and rationalization of imports in the
country, as well as Russian undertakings abroad; to support its interests at the
foreign market and oppose to the discrimination of domestic producers and
exporters, assure strict compliance of the foreign economic activity to Russian
legislation and implementation of such operations with domestic constituents;
-
to promote the attraction of foreign investment in the first turn in the real sector
and priority spheres of the Russian economy;
-
to provide for the safety and optimal use of the Russian property abroad;
-
to carry out servicing of the Russian foreign debt in compliance with the real
capabilities of the country, to strive for the maximum return of the funds on account
of credits to the foreign States;
-
to form a complex system of the Russian Legislation and the international legal
contract base in the economic domain.
Russia is to be ready to use all economic levers at its disposal and resources for
protection of its National interests;
Considering the increase of the danger of natural and technogenic catastrophes,
the Russian Federation advocates for expansion of the international co-operation
for the purposes of providing the environmental safety, including the ones with
attraction of the high technologies for the sake of all international community.
4. Human Rights and International Relations
Russia, devoted to the values of the democratic society, including respect of the
human rights and freedoms, regards its tasks in order:
-
to strive for respect of the human rights and freedoms all over the world on the
basis of the observance of the international law norms;
-
to protect the rights and interests of the Russian citizens and the compatriots
abroad on the basis of the international law and the effective bilateral agreements.
The Russian Federation will strive for the adequate guarantee of the rights and
freedoms of compatriots in the States of their permanent residence, maintain and
develop the all-round ties with them and their organizations;
-
to develop the international co-operation in the domain of the humanitarian
exchange;
-
to expand participation in the international conventions and agreements in the
domain of human rights;
-
to proceed with adjustment of the Legislation of the Russian Federation in
compliance with the international obligations of Russia.
5. Information Support of the Foreign-Policy Activity
Informing the wide circles of the world public on the objective and accurate data on
the viewpoints of Russia by the major international problems, foreign-policy
initiatives and actions of the Russian Federation, as well as on the achievements of
the Russian culture, science and intellectual art is one of the critical trends of the
foreign-policy activity of the Russian Federation. The task of forming a positive
comprehension of Russia and a friendly attitude towards it abroad is being brought
to the forefront. The purposeful efforts on broad clarification abroad of the essence
of the internal policy of Russia and the processes, going on in the country, are to
become an integral element of the corresponding activity. The accelerated
development of their own effective means of the information’s influence on the
public opinion abroad becomes actual in the Russian Federation.
IV. REGIONAL PRIORITIES
Ensuring the correspondence of the multilateral and bilateral co-operation with the
States – members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) with the
tasks of the national security of the country is the priority line of the foreign policy of
Russia.
The emphasis will be laid on development of the good neighboring relations and
strategic partnership with all countries – the CIS members. The practical relations
with each of them are necessary to be built with account of the counter openness
for co-operation, preparedness to proper accounting of the interests of the Russian
Federation, including guarantee of the rights of the Russian compatriots.
Proceeding from the conception that the integration within the CIS is characterized
with various rates and levels, Russia will be determining the parameters and the
character of its interaction with the Member States of the CIS both in the CIS on the
whole and in the narrower associations, in the Customs Union and the Treaty of
Collective Security in the first turn. Strengthening of the Union of Byelorussia and
Russia, as a supreme form of integration of two sovereign States, is the prime task
at this stage.
The joint efforts on regulation of conflicts in the CIS Member States, development
of co-operation in the military-political domain and the sphere of security, especially
in the fight against the international terrorism and extremism, will be of the priority
value.
Critical emphasis will be laid on the development of the economic co-operation,
including creation of the duty-free trade zone and realization of the programs on the
joint rational use of natural resources. In particular, Russia will strive for
development of such status of the Caspian Sea, which would allow the by-coastal
States to expand a mutually beneficial co-operation on exploitation of the regional
resources on the fair basis with account of the lawful interests of each other.
The Russian Federation will be making efforts for ensuring compliance with the
mutual obligations on maintaining and augmenting of the common cultural
inheritance of the CIS Member States.
Relations with European states is a traditionally priority line of the foreign policy of
Russia. The main target of the Russian foreign policy in the European direction is
the creation of the stable and democratic system of the all-European security and
co-operation. Russia is interested in the further balanced development of the
multifunctional character of the Organisation on Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE) and will be making efforts in this direction.
It is important to use to the maximum extent the law-making potential, accumulated
by this organisation after adoption of the Helsinki Final Act in 1975, which has been
totally retaining its actuality. Russia will be decisively opposed to restriction of the
OSCE functions, in particular re-profiling of its activity to the post-Soviet area and
the Balkans.
Russia will be striving for conversion of the adapted Treaty on the Conventional
Armed Forces in Europe into an effective means of ensuring European security, as
well as attaching a comprehensive character to the measures of confidence,
including, in particular, the coalition activity and activity of the naval forces.
Proceeding from the own needs in building of a civil society Russia intends to keep
participating in the activity of the Council of Europe.
The relations with the European Union (EU) are of key value. The processes going
on in the EU to the increasing extent influence the dynamics of the situation in
Europe. This is expansion of the EU, transition to the unified currency, institutional
reform, making of the general foreign policy and the policy in the sphere of security,
and the defense identity. Regarding these processes as the objective component of
the European development, Russia will be striving for the proper account of its
interests, including the ones in application to the sphere of the bilateral relations
with individual countries – the members of the EU.
The Russian Federation views the EU as one of its most important political and
economic partners, and will be striving for development of the intensive, stable and
long-term co-operation, deprived of market fluctuations, with the EU.
The character of the relations with the EU is defined with the framework of the
Agreement on Partnership and Co-operation, instituting the partnership between
the Russian Federation on the one part and the European communities and their
Member States on the other part, dated June 24 1994, which has not become fully
operational yet. The specific problems and first of all the problem of the adequate
account of the interests of the Russian party in the process of the EU expansion
and reformation will be solved on the basis of the Strategy of Developing the
Relations of the Russian Federation with the EU, approved in 1999. The developing
military-political measurement of the EU is to become the subject of special
consideration.
Substantively estimating the role of the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) Russia proceeds from the importance of co-operation with it in the interests
of maintaining the security and stability in the continent and is open for constructive
interaction. The required foundation for it has been laid in the Fundamental Act on
the Mutual Relations, Co-operation and Security between the Russian Federation
and the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization dated May 27 1997. The rate of cooperation with NATO will depend on its compliance with the key provisions of this
document, which in the first turn refer to non-use of force and threat of force, nonplacement of groups of the conventional armed forces, nuclear weapon and
vehicles of its delivery in the territories of the new members.
Along with this, the current political and military aims of NATO do not match the
security interests of the Russian Federation in a number of parameters and
sometimes they are in direct contradiction with them. In the first turn it concerns the
provisions of the new strategic conception of NATO, not excluding prosecution of
force operations outside the effect zone of the Washington Treaty without sanction
of the UN Security Council. Russia maintains a negative attitude towards the
expansion of NATO.
The rich and constructive co-operation between Russia and NATO is possible only
if it is built on the basis of the proper account of the Parties’ interests and absolute
compliance with the mutual obligations undertaken.
Interaction with the States of the Western Europe and in the first turn with such
powerful ones as Great Britain, Germany, Italy and France represents an important
resource for assertion by Russia of its national interests in the European and world
affairs, for stabilization and growth of the Russian economy.
In relations with the States of the Central and Eastern Europe the task of
maintaining the worked human, business and cultural links, overcoming the
available emergency phenomena and adding an additional impulse to the cooperation in compliance with the new conditions and Russian interests.
Development of relations of the Russian Federation with Lithuania, Latvia and
Estonia has a good outlook. Russia stands for steering these relations into a
channel of good-neighborliness and mutually beneficial co-operation. Respect of
Russian interests by these states, including the core matter on observance of the
rights of the Russian-speaking population, is the indispensable condition thereof.
Russia will provide all possible support for achievement of the lasting and fair
settlement of the situation in the Balkans, based on the coordinated decisions of the
international community. Retaining the territorial integrity of the Union Republic of
Yugoslavia and opposing to partitioning of this State, which is fraught with
occurrence of the all-Balkan conflict with unpredictable consequences, is
fundamentally important.
The Russian Federation is ready for overcoming considerable difficulties of the
recent period in the relations with the USA, retaining the Russian-American cooperation infrastructure, which had been created for almost 10 years. Regardless of
availability of the serious and in a number of cases principled disagreements, the
Russian-American interaction is a required condition for improvement of the
international situation and global strategic stability.
In the first turn it concerns the problems of disarmament, control over the
armaments and non-proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction, as well as
prevention and settlement of the most dangerous regional conflicts. Settlement of
the matter on limitation and reduction of the strategic nuclear weapons is possible
only at an active dialogue with the USA. Maintenance of the regular bi-lateral
contacts at all levels, non-admission of pauses in the relations and failures in the
negotiation processes by the major political, military and economic matters are in
mutual interest.
Asia has an important and all increasing importance in the foreign policy of the
Russian Federation, which is conditioned by the direct membership of Russia in this
dynamically developing region, necessitating the economic rise of Siberia and the
Far East. The accent will be placed on activating Russia’s participation in the major
integration structures of the Asian-Pacific region – forum of the Asian-Pacific
Economic Co-operation, regional forum of the Association of South-East Asia
Nations (ASEAN) on security, and in the “Shanghai Set of Five” (Russia, China,
Kazakhstan, Kirghizia and Tajikistan), created upon the initiative role of Russia.
Development of friendly relations with the leading Asian states, China and India in
the first instance, is one of the most important lines of the Russian foreign policy in
Asia. Coincidence of the fundamental approaches of Russia and the Chinese
People's Republic to the key problems of the world policy is one of the base
supports of the global and regional stability. Russia has been striving for
development of the mutually beneficial co-operation with China on all lines.
Adjustment of the economic interaction scales in conformity with the level of
political relations remains the main task.
Russia intends to deepen the traditional partnership with India including the one in
the international affairs, promote overcoming of the problems lasting out in the
Southern Asia and strengthening of stability in the region.
Signing of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty with India and Pakistan and their
accession to the Non-Proliferation Treaty is regarded by Russia as an important
factor of ensuring stability in the Asian-Pacific region. Russia will be supporting the
line to creation of the zones free from nuclear weapons in Asia.
The Russian Federation stands for stable development of relations with Japan, for
achievement of the genuine good-neighborliness, meeting the national interests of
both countries. Within the framework of the existing negotiation mechanisms
Russia will proceed seeking for a mutually acceptable decision on formalization of
the internationally recognized border between the two States.
Russian foreign policy is directed at increase of the positive dynamics of relations
with the States of the Southern-Eastern Asia.
It is important to develop the relations with Iran further.
The general recovery of the situation in Asia, characterized with strengthening of
the geopolitical ambitions of a number of States, increasing of the arms race,
lasting out of the sources of stress and conflicts, is of fundamental value for Russia.
The situation in the Korean peninsula causes the biggest concern. Efforts will be
concentrated on ensuring the equal participation of Russia in settlement of the
Korean problem, on maintenance of the balanced relations with both Korean
States.
The lengthy conflict in Afganistan creates a real threat to the security of the
southern borders of the CIS and directly touches the Russian interests. In
interaction with other States concerned Russia will be making consistent efforts for
the purposes of achieving a lasting and fair political settlement of the Afgan
problem, non-admission of exporting terrorism and extremism out of this country.
Russia will be striving for stabilization of the situation in the Middle East, including
the zone of the Persian Gulf and Northern Africa, considering at the same time the
impact of the regional situation on the one all over the world. Using its status as a
co-sponsor of the peaceful process Russia intends to pursue the line targeted at
active participation in after-the-crisis normalization of the situation in the region. In
this context, reconstruction and strengthening of the positions of Russia, especially
economic ones, in this area of the world, which is rich and important for our
interests, will be the priority task of Russia.
Regarding the Mediterranean as a connecting link of such regions as the Middle
East, the region of the Black Sea, the Caucasus, the basin of the Caspian Sea,
Russia intends to pursue the purposive course at its conversion in the zone of
peace, stability and good-neighborliness, which will promote the progress of the
Russian economic interests, including the ones in selection of the routes for
transmitting the important energy carriers.
Russia will expand the interaction with the African States; promote the fastest
settlement of the regional war conflicts in Africa. It is also necessary to develop a
political dialogue with the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and sub-regional
organizations, use of their opportunities for switching of Russia to the multilateral
economic projects in the continent.
Russia has been striving for upgrading the level of the political dialogue and
economic co-operation with the countries of the Central and Southern America,
being based on the serious progress, achieved in the relations of Russia with this
region in the 1990s. It will be, in particular, striving for expansion of the interaction
with the States of the Central and Southern America in the international
organizations, encouragement of exporting the Russian high-end industrial
products to the Latin-American States, development of the military-technical cooperation.
At determination of the regional priorities of its foreign policy the Russian
Federation will account the rate and orientation of formation of the main world
centers, extent of their members’ availability to expansion of the bilateral interaction
with Russia.
V. BUILDING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOREIGN POLICY OF THE
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
The President of the Russian Federation in compliance with his Constitutional
powers shall implement the guidance of the foreign policy of the State and
represent the Russian Federation in the international relations as the Head of the
State.
The Soviet of the Federation and the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the
Russian Federation within the framework of their Constitutional powers shall carry
out the legislative activity on ensuring the foreign-policy course of the Russian
Federation and compliance with its international obligations.
The Security Council of the Russian Federation shall effect preparation of the
decisions of the President of the Russian Federation in the sphere of international
security and control over their fulfillment.
The Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation shall carry out the
activity on immediate realization of the foreign-policy course of the Ministry of
Internal Affairs of Russia, approved by the President of the Russian Federation,
implements co-ordination of the foreign-policy activity of the Federal executive
authorities and control over it in compliance with Decree № 375 of the President of
the Russian Federation dated March 12 1996 “On the Coordinating Role of the
Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation in Pursuing the Unified
Foreign-Policy Line of the Russian Federation”.
The constituents of the Russian Federation shall develop their international
contacts in compliance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Federal
Law “On Co-ordination of the International and Foreign-Policy Contacts of the
Constituents of the Russian Federation” and other legislative acts. The Ministry of
the Foreign Affairs of Russia and the Federal executive authorities render
assistance to the constituents of the Russian Federation in their implementation of
the international co-operation at strict observance of sovereignty and territorial
integrity of the Russian Federation.
At preparation of decisions on pursuance of the State foreign-policy course the
Federal executive authorities shall interact with non-governmental organizations of
Russia as required. Wider involvement of the non-governmental organizations in
the sphere of the foreign-policy activity of the country meet the task of providing
maximum support of the State foreign policy by the civil society and is capable to
contribute in its effective realization.
Consistent realization of the foreign policy will create favorable conditions for
realization of the historic choice of the peoples of the Russian Federation in favor of
the legal State, democratic society and socially oriented market economy.