Vedomosti
May 26, 2010
TURN TO THE WEST (translation courtesy of JRL)
Moscow abandons the policy of isolationism and aspires to genuine rapprochement with the West
Author: editorial
MOSCOW IS DEMONSTRATING WILLINGNESS TO EXECUTE A WESTWARD TURN IN FOREIGN POLICY
Modernization of the country proclaimed by the national leadership necessitates dramatic changes in foreign policy. Some of the latest developments plainly show Moscow's resolve to abandon world power's arrogance and isolationism and develop fully fledged cooperation with the Western community.
The impression is that Russian politicians aspire to relations of trust and ultimately to integration with Europe. The recent thaw in the relations between Moscow and Warsaw for example has little to do with personal sympathies between the Russian and Polish premiers or even with the Smolensk plane crash. The very tone of foreign policy statements and documents is different now.
Participation of NATO representatives in the military parade in Moscow on May 9 became another signal that confirms the trend. "Effective use of foreign political factors for long-term development of the Russian Federation" is a document leaked to and published by the Russian Newsweek. Its authenticity was confirmed by experts and lack of denials from the Foreign Ministry itself.
The document in question was not Russian response to the new international strategy of American President Barack Obama. On the other hand, it did signify a serious change in tactics. Soothing sermons concerning "the isle of stability" gave way to realization that recovery from the crisis necessitated "advancement of relations and interaction with the leading world and regional powers" including establishment of "alliances for modernization" with "major partners in West Europe and with the European Union in general."
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov promotes political rapprochement with the advanced countries. His piece "Euro-Atlantics: Equal Security" featured in Defense Nationale (France) made an emphasis on the fact that "Russia is an integral part of Europe" and pointed out that "Russia's foreign policy is based on philosophy of cooperation." There was another key nuance in Lavrov's piece: Russia was not going to enter into confrontations with the West. Instead, it would merely wait for "natural processes to set conditions for convergence at the level of estimates and practical policies."
All these changes in the Russian foreign policy are attributed to two factors. The United States and Europe finally agreed to bear in mind Russia's legitimate interests in the post-Soviet zone. The Kremlin in the meantime discovered that modernization of domestic economy without foreign assistance would be an exercise in futility. Nurturing old wrongs and hurts was not the best way of attracting foreign investments and technologies. Development of political trust was.
Better relations with Europe and the United States will bring about unequivocal consequences for Russia and, broader, all of the post-Soviet zone. Everything comes down to interpretation of the term economic and political "convergence" and its degree. The Russian-EU convergence Lavrov mentioned might facilitate development of European institutions in Russia - supremacy of the law, independence of courts, and inviolability of private property.
On the other hand, certain part of the Russian establishment regards the so called "European choice" merely as a free access for the state and major companies to Western technologies and credits, as a gateway to visa-free travel about Europe to purchase real estate there. Some circles in Moscow will probably try to use cooperation with the West to conserve the existing clannish system with all its thoroughly negative features like corruption and selective access to resources.
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