Test 3 Russian foreign policy

Ex.1 Expound the essence of the following expression in writing:

“Nothing is more important for the security of Europe and the peace of the world than the foreign policy of the new Russia, which remains the world's largest country in geographic terms, possesses one of the two major stockpiles of nuclear weapons on the planet, and is part of the three regions that are the world's most important in strategic and economic terms: Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia”.

Ex.2 Make a literary translation from English into Russian. The foreign policy concept of the Russian Federation

The foreign policy concept of the Russian Federation demonstrates how Putin is attempting to distance himself from the policies and ideology of former president Boris Yeltsin. As it has on domestic issues, the new administration seems anxious to stress that it is reviewing much of what was done during the Yeltsin era. In fact, Kremlin sources say that Putin intended to criticize Yeltsin by name during his recent state-of-the-nation address to parliament. It was only at the last minute that Putin opted not to name the person responsible for the current grave economic, social, demographic and ecological problems facing the country.

The document says that Russia is a great power and one of the world's "most influential centers." Accordingly, the document states that one of Russia's major foreign policy goals is the creation of a "multi-polar system of international relations." Left unsaid is the common belief among Russia's elite today that much of the nation's remaining international influence relies solely on its possession of a substantial nuclear arsenal.

According to document, Russian foreign policy seeks to establish a "good-neighbor belt along the perimeter of Russia's borders" while preventing new sources of tension and conflicts from developing in regions adjacent to Russian territory. Russia borders 14 countries, half of which are former Soviet republics.

The document specifically states that Russian foreign policy seeks to create "favorable external conditions for steady development of Russia for improving its economy." While analysts see this as an attempt to court existing international lenders and future investors, most acknowledge that Putin's domestic economic policies will have more to do with whether international investors can be lured into the country.

The Concept paper says nothing about the damage done to Russia's image by its two recent wars in Chechnya but it does state that Moscow stands ready to respect human rights the world over.

Some of the seemingly contradictory statements within the paper reflect the contradictory impulses within the Russian government itself.

In one portion, for example, it cites the tendency to solve "questions of international security" through "Western institutions" and "forums of limited compositions" as among the major threats to Russian security. Yet, elsewhere, the document notes that it is in Russia's vital interest to participate in such organizations as the G-8, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank – some of the very Western institutions it just identified as potential threats.

What the document does make clear, however, is that the days of Russia's preoccupation with the threat of nuclear war (the chance of which, the paper says, "has been reduced to the minimum") or its obsession with deepening its cooperative relationship with the United States, are over.

After nearly a decade of little or no progress in this area, it should probably come as no surprise that the Concept paper now speaks coolly of the U.S.'s desire to establish itself as the world's sole superpower and efforts to expand NATO eastward. Talk of greater cooperation has been replaced with call for further arms control negotiations.

What the Concept paper fails to provide is a clear vision of where the Putin administration hopes to take Russian foreign policy in the future. The document contains few ideas on what the government's foreign policy should be, while at the same time overestimating Russia's current political, economic and intellectual influence in world affairs.

Ex.2 Read the text and point out in written form:

1. Institutes responsible for the forming of foreign policy of the Russian Federation;

2. Institutes responsible for the Russian foreign policy implementation.