Russian Foreign Policy: A move towards a multi-polar and balanced world III
Dr. Syed Mehboob
Economic and Political Analyst
In view of the long-term trends in world development, the national interests of the Russian Federation in the foreign policy domain are as follows:
1) to protect the constitutional system, sovereignty, independence, state and territorial integrity of the Russian Federation against any destructive external influence;
2) to maintain strategic stability, strengthen international peace and security;
3) to strengthen the legal foundations of international relations;
4) to protect the rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests of Russian citizens, and to protect Russian entities against foreign illegal encroachment;
5) to develop a safe information space, protect Russian society against destructive informational and psychological influence;
6) to preserve the Russian nation, build human capital, and improve the quality of life and well-being of citizens;
7) to promote the sustainable development of the Russian economy on a new technological basis;
8) to promote traditional Russian moral and spiritual values, preserve cultural and historical heritage of the multi-ethnic people of the Russian Federation;
9) to ensure environmental protection, conservation of natural resources and environmental management, and adapt to climate change.
Building on its national interests and strategic national priorities, the Russian Federation focuses its foreign policy activities on achieving the following goals:
1) to ensure the security of the Russian Federation, its sovereignty in all domains, and territorial integrity;
2) to create a favourable external environment for the sustainable development of Russia;
3) to consolidate Russia's position as one of the responsible, powerful and independent centres of the modern world.
Strategic foreign policy goals of the Russian Federation are achieved through performing the following main tasks:
1) to shape an equitable and sustainable world order;
2) to maintain international peace and security, strategic stability, ensure peaceful coexistence and progressive development of states and peoples;
3) to assist in developing effective comprehensive responses by the international community to common challenges and threats, including regional conflicts and crises;
4) to promote mutually beneficial and equal cooperation with all foreign states and their associations adopting a constructive stance, and mainstream Russian interests through mechanisms of multilateral diplomacy;
5) to counter anti-Russian activities carried out by foreign states and their associations, and create conditions conducive to stopping such activities;
6) to establish good neighbor relations with contiguous states, and contribute to the prevention and elimination of tensions and conflicts in their territories;
7) to assist Russian allies and partners in promoting shared interests, ensuring their security and sustainable development, irrespective of whether or not the allies and partners receive international recognition or membership of international organizations;
8) to unlock and strengthen the capacity of multilateral regional associations and integration structures with Russia's participation;
9) to consolidate Russia's position in the world economy, achieve national development goals for the Russian Federation, ensure economic security, and realize its economic potential;
10) to ensure Russia's interests in the world's oceans, space and airspace;
11) to ensure that Russia is perceived abroad objectively, consolidate its position in the international information space;
12) to enhance Russia's role in the global humanitarian space, consolidate the position of the Russian language in the world, and contribute to the preservation abroad of historical truth and the memory of Russia's role in world history;
13) to protect abroad, in a comprehensive and effective way, the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of Russian citizens and entities;
14) to develop ties with compatriots living abroad and render them full support in exercising their rights, ensuring protection of their interests and preserving all-Russian cultural identity.
Russia is striving towards a system of international relations that would guarantee reliable security, preservation of its cultural and civilizational identity, and equal opportunities for the development for all states, regardless of their geographical location, size of territory, demographic, resource and military capacity, or political, economic and social structure. In order to meet these criteria, the system of international relations should be multipolar and based on the following principles:
1) sovereign equality of states, respect for their right to choose models of development, and social, political and economic order;
2) rejection of hegemony in international affairs;
3) cooperation based on a balance of interests and mutual benefit;
4) non-interference in internal affairs;
5) rule of international law in regulating international relations, with all states abandoning the policy of double standards;
6) indivisibility of security in global and regional aspects;
7) diversity of cultures, civilizations and models of social organization, non-imposition on other countries by all states of their models of development, ideology and values, and reliance on a spiritual and moral guideline that is common for all world traditional religions and secular ethical systems;
8) responsible leadership on the part of leading nations aimed at ensuring stable and favourable conditions of development, both for themselves and for all other countries and peoples;
9) the primary role of sovereign states in decision-making regarding the maintenance of international peace and security.
In order to help adapt the world order to the realities of a multipolar world, the Russian Federation intends to make it a priority to:
1) eliminate the vestiges of domination by the US and other unfriendly states in global affairs, create conditions to enable any state to renounce neo-colonial or hegemonic ambitions;
2) improve international mechanisms for ensuring security and development at the global and regional levels;
3) restore the UN's role as the central coordinating mechanism in reconciling the interests of UN Member States and their actions in pursuit of the goals of the UN Charter;
4) enhance the capacity and international role of the interstate association of BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the RIC (Russia, India, China) and other interstate associations and international organizations, as well as mechanisms with strong Russian participation;
5) support regional and sub-regional integration within friendly multilateral institutions, dialogue platforms, and regional associations in the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East;
6) enhance the sustainability and progressive development of the international legal system;
7) ensure equitable access for all states to the benefits of the global economy and division of labour at the international level, as well as to modern technology in the interest of fair and even development (including addressing global energy and food security);
8) intensify cooperation in all areas with Russia's allies and partners, and suppress the attempts by unfriendly states to obstruct such cooperation;
9) consolidate international efforts to ensure respect for and protection of universal and traditional spiritual and moral values (including ethical norms common to all world religions), and counter the attempts to impose pseudo-humanistic or other neo-liberal ideological views, leading to the loss by the humankind of traditional spiritual and moral values and integrity;
10) promote constructive dialogue, partnerships, and cross-fertilization of various cultures, religions and civilizations.
Ensuring the rule of law in international relations serves as one of the foundations of a just and sustainable world order, maintenance of global stability, peaceful and fruitful cooperation between states and their associations, and a factor in easing international tensions and increasing the predictability of world development.
Russia consistently advocates strengthening the legal fundamentals of international relations and faithfully complies with its international legal obligations. At the same time, decisions of interstate bodies adopted on the basis of provisions of international treaties of the Russian Federation which collide with the Constitution may not be executed in the Russian Federation.
The mechanism for shaping universal international legal standards should be based on the free will of sovereign states, and the UN should remain the main venue for progressive development and codification of international law. Further promotion of the concept of a rules-based world order is fraught with the destruction of the international legal system and other dangerous consequences for humanity.
In the interests of increasing sustainability of the international legal system, preventing its fragmentation or decay, and avoiding indiscriminate use of generally recognized norms of international law, the Russian Federation intends to make it a priority to:
1) counter the attempts to replace, revise or interpret in an arbitrary way the principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter and Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, as of 24 October 1970;
2) progressively develop, including, given the realities of a multipolar world, and codify international law, primarily within the efforts taken under the aegis of the United Nations, as well as ensure participation of the maximum possible number of states in the UN international treaties, and universal interpretation and application thereof;
3) consolidate the efforts taken by states that advocate restoration of universal respect for international law and enhancement of its role as the basis of international relations ( continued)
|