Russian foreign policy: priorities, challenges and perspectives According to the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation drawn up by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russia should become a balancing factor in conditions of global turbulence in the development of global civilization. Due to some factors the world now is getting unstable and unpredictable.
Among these factors are the global crisis, a powerful catalyst of deep changes in the geopolitical landscape, the weakening of the role of the UN, the strengthening of trans border challenges and threats, where threats in the information space are key items and the tendency towards the re-ideologization of international relations. Nevertheless, Russia is given the unique role of a balancing factor in international affairs and the development of the world civilization.
So, Russia will build its foreign policy in accordance with several top priorities. The main goal is to help save the world economy, to promote the formation of a fair and democratic global trade-economic architecture. In addition, Russia should fight interference in countries’ internal affairs; seekrespectforhuman rightsand liberties with regard for the national, cultural, and historical characteristics of every country.
Also Russia must prevent military interventions and other forms of interference. Russia’s second top priority is the European Union (special emphasis is on the introduction of a visa-free regime). It concerns Russia’s major partners in Europe (Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands) with which Russia is actively working in the gas sphere and cooperation with the OSCE, NATO, and the countries of Northern Europe, the Baltic States, and the Balkans.
The third top priority of Russia is the U. S. , from which Russia will seek legal guarantees that the missile defense systems will not be targeted against Russian nuclear restraint forces and the observance of international law, including the principle of non-interference in countries’ internal affairs. In the meantime, the development of friendly relations with China and India is an important area of Russian foreign policy.
