Russia's strategic partnernships with the world ..[ 1502 ]

Russia rethinking its strategic partnernships with the world

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 11:11 am TWN, 

By Frank Ching 

In a dramatic but little noticed shift, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has announced that Russia will give top priority to the country's economic modernization and identified the leading members of the European Union and the United States as countries with which Moscow needs to forge “special modernization alliances.”

While China, too, is important, the Russian leader made it clear in his speech that what Russia needs are partnerships with such countries as Germany, France and Italy in Europe and, of course, the United States.
 

Medvedev outlined Moscow's new direction in a speech July 12 to the country's ambassadors and its representatives to international organizations.
Russia's new foreign policy emphasis had been foreshadowed in a confidential report prepared by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that was leaked in May and published in the Russian Newsweek.
The Medvedev speech confirms the authenticity of that report, which contained details missing from the president's public remarks.
 

Quite strikingly, Medvedev warned of Iran's nuclear program in words that could have come from the mouth of an American official. “It is essential to abandon simplistic approaches to this issue,” he said. “It is obvious that Iran is getting close to acquiring nuclear capability that can be used, in theory, to create nuclear weapons.”
 

In the past, China had some degree of cover from Russia on issues such as Iran so it was not the only voice opposing harsh sanctions. Thus, in a note to President Medvedev attached to the confidential report, Foreign Minister Lavrov says:
 

“Particular attention should be paid to monitoring the growing role of China in international affairs [and] proceed from the fundamental importance of consolidating China's position on joint action with us — with due regard to the evolving situation — in the G-20, BRIC [Brazil, Russia, India and China] and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as well as the U.N. Security Council (where our support is often more useful to the Chinese than theirs to us).”
 

Aside from economic modernization, Medvedev said Russia's second biggest challenge was strengthening democratic and civil society institutions in the country.
 

In words that may sound alarming to Chinese officials, the president said, “We must promote the humanization of social systems around the world and especially at home. ... It is in the interests of Russian democracy for as many nations as possible to follow democratic standards in their domestic policy.”