Упрощенная HTML-версия
Электронное приложение к журналу «
Международная жизнь
»
Author : A. Yakovenko
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the UK
Trade and economic ties serve as one of the pillars of
our relationship, ensuring its resilience to changing in-
ternal and external political conditions. For instance, last
year, our bilateral trade grew 6 percent, to US$21 billion,
British direct investment in Russia went up 15 percent,
to US$14 billion, and accumulated investment was up
to US$26 billion.
Self-evidently, our political differences with London, in-
cluding over ways to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, have
also had some impact on economic ties.
At the same time, businesses are continuing to engage
in mutually beneficial cooperation. This concerns inter alia major global energy companies like Rosneft,
Gazprom, BP, and Shell. Leading financial institutions are also seeking to sustain constructive ties, including
within the framework of the project for setting up an International Financial Center in Moscow. Recently,
the respective Working Group held a successful meeting in Moscow attended by representatives from the
Moscow and London City financial districts.
I would like to note the positive role in promoting direct business contacts of the Russo-British Chamber
of Commerce and Industry, under whose aegis regular thematic business workshops and conferences are
held, both in Russia and in the UK.
We hope that the British business community will continue to pursue constructive and pragmatic approaches
in this matter. Political conjunctures come and go while economic interests remain.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain was formed in 1706 by a treaty of union between England and
Scotland. At that time, this did not lead to the creation of a federal state, but since the 90s of the last
century the country has been witnessing a process of devolution, that is, the transfer of a portion of the
functions of central government to the level of regions, including Wales and Scotland.
It is hard to see why the current Ukrainian authorities anathematize the very idea of federalization, while
insisting on the importance of decentralization, the signs of which are not yet visible.
Northern Ireland too has seen the evolution of self-government with its own characteristics. There it rests
on the primacy of the people's will. The Scottish referendum campaign represents a civilized initiative with
an eye to ensuring a free-flowing and well-argued debate of the parties. Hence it occurs to no one to take
up arms or to forcefully keep Scotland in the United Kingdom.
Unfortunately, so far our Western partners, who have opted for unconditional support of the actions of
Ukrainian government, even while acknowledging, let us say, its incomplete legitimacy, are unable to explain
to us what the problem is with federalization. This is especially odd given that a majority of states in the
world, including Europe and North America, are federal states. For example, these include the United
States, the Russian Federation and Germany. As far as Britain is concerned, they have as said above - in the
absence of a written constitution - the so-called creeping federalization in the form of devolution. The
British government has already stated that if the supporters of independence lose the vote, Scotland's pow-
ers will be considerably expanded.
Relations Between Russia and Britain During the Ukrainian Crisis