Упрощенная HTML-версия
Author : K. Kosachev
Head, Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and
International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo)
FOSTERING INTERNATIONAL development, offi-
cial facilitation of development, assistance to developing
countries - these are closely related notions each of
which is already recognizable in Russia, being actively
discussed within the expert community but not always
understandable to our country's citizens. This is why I
consider it important to promote a broad public discus-
sion about the way these processes generally evolve in
the present-day world and what they mean for Russia as
a world power with global interests and its own agenda
for international relations.
The shift in priority from aid to cooperation on the international level practically coincided also with the
change of Russia's paradigm in fostering international development cooperation. Until recently, Russia had
a concept for participation in fostering international development cooperation that was adopted in 2007.
Development matters are directly linked to foreign policy and national security issues, as well as to upholding
national interests. This accounts for the attention given by the country's leadership to a subject that at first
glance is not a priority issue for Russia today but that is directly related to what is happening on the perimeter
of the Russian state border. There is a clear understanding that the substantial aid provided by our country
to other countries, which makes a significant share of the national GDP. should be adequately valued by
citizens in those countries.
The new concept sets the task of prioritizing targeted bilateral aid programs and applying a well-substan-
tiated set of guidelines in determining aid recipient states. These criteria will include the following:
- Improvement of the environment for trade and investment activity in aid recipient states, including by
simplifying the procedure of cross-border movement of goods and services; and
- Formation of industrial and innovative potential in aid recipient states.
It is quite obvious that not only the correlation of the volumes of bilateral and multilateral aid should
change but also, to a very large degree, its geographic direction (priority to the CIS countries, Abkhazia
and South Ossetia), as well as the substance of the relevant projects. Support for international development
is becoming a very important fact of integration in the CIS space.
Fostering the development of less developed states helps eliminate preconditions for the outbreak of all
kinds of conflicts and crises in those countries.
As is known, Russia has been traditionally helping the development of small states.
A characteristic feature of Russia's revival and strengthening should be its active assumption of the role of
an influential regional donor that its partners can count on, being clearly aware of the source of support.
Therefore, the mechanisms of fostering international development are designed to become an important
component of strategic integration projects, primarily with our immediate neighbors.
http://interaffairs.ru
Russia's Role in Fostering International Development