Упрощенная HTML-версия
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Author : Ye. Stanislavov
Director, Economic Cooperation Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
SEPTEMBER 7, 2014 was the 70th anniversary of the
establishment of the Economic Cooperation Department
(ECD) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (at that time,
the USSR People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs), a
specialized unit tasked with the elaboration of state eco-
nomic matters of international importance. The first head
of the Economic Cooperation Department was Vladimir
Sergeevich Gerashchenko.
Soon after the war, the department became closely in-
volved in economic matters at the UN, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Devel-
opment (IBRD), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the UN administration for aid
and reconstruction in Ukraine, Belarus, and other war ravaged regions.
The importance of the Foreign Ministry's economic service increased notably in the second half
of the 1980s. During this period, the country was in the middle of dynamic changes: the abolition
of the state monopoly over foreign trade, with domestic manufacturers entering foreign markets.
As Russia's participation in world economic processes expands and as its positions strengthen,
the economic component of Russia's foreign policy is becoming increasingly weighty.
At present, the ECD is focused on its core activities via the Foreign Ministry. As a principal
actor, the department "covers" a broad spectrum of economic issues. Its "dossier" includes var-
ious matters of international economic relations and multilateral economic diplomacy, trade and
economic policy, economic security, energy and sectoral cooperation, business support, partici-
pation in international and regional economic and financial organizations, etc.
In its activity, the department is focused on the creation of new interaction mechanisms and the
use of foreign experience in advanced technology in the interest of the country's modernization.
One important area of our work is the institutional upgrading of foreign economic ties. Its key
element is the need to consolidate interagency coordination in the process of foreign economic
cooperation. In conjunction with the RF Economic Development Ministry, we are working to
upgrade the national export support system and the implementation of the concept of giving a
"new look" to Russian trade missions abroad.
The department analyzes new world economic challenges and works out recommendations with
regard to the protection and promotion of national interests. Modern international trends related
to the reorganization of the global economic management system and Russia's active participa-
tion in these processes in conjunction with our BRICS partners are creating a new "window of
opportunities" for Russian economic diplomacy.
In conclusion, it should be noted that as Russia's participation in world economic processes ex-
pands and as its positions strengthen, the economic component of Russia's foreign policy is be-
coming increasingly weighty, while the realities of international development are setting forth
new requirements.
The Russian Foreign Ministry's Economic Service