Russia is planning a major switch in foreign policy which would aim to improve ties with the West to increase foreign investment in the country, the Russian edition of Newsweek reported yesterday.
A new foreign policy doctrine, approved by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, aims to make Russia’s foreign policy more pragmatic to attract urgently needed international capital for modernizing the country, the weekly said.
Entitled “The Program for Effective Use of Foreign Policy in the Long-Term Development of Russia,” the doctrine says Russia must strengthen relations with the US and the EU to achieve its economic goals.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov wrote in the introduction that the best way to ensure ure Russian interests is to rapidly realize modernization in Russia, a flagship project of Medvedev.
Russia needs to forge “modernizing alliances” with Western Europe and the EU to attract foreign capital, Lavrov wrote in the doctrine, the entire text of which was posted on the Newsweek Web site.
Meanwhile, Russia will need to exploit the US’ technological potential and end restrictions on the transfer of American technology to Russia, he said.
“The greatest importance will be attached to the … strengthening of relations of mutual dependence with leading world and regional powers based on mutual penetration of economy and culture,” Lavrov wrote.
Lavrov lauded the “transforming potential” of US President Barack Obama, but warned that elements in the US foreign policy establishment were seeking to force him to a more confrontational stance.
Newsweek said that doctrine would mark a major shift by Russia to a more pragmatic foreign policy after years of prickly relations with the EU and US.
“The economic crisis showed that we cannot develop Russia on our own,” a foreign ministry source told the weekly. “We are going to have to rely on someone.”
Officials from the foreign ministry could not be immediately reached for comment.
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