Lavrov concluded that “the commitment to a peaceful solution of all problems that arise in the Arctic region is confirmed. The provisions of the concept assume that the anti-Russian steps of unfriendly states will be consistently and, if necessary, severely suppressed.
On March 31, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation published on its website the text (in English, Spanish, and French) of the Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation, approved by Presidential Executive Order No. 229 of March 31, 2023.
The 42-page document consists of six sections and a total of 76 paragraphs. The previous version of the concept was adopted in November 2016. Here are a few important aspects including the strategic goals, major objectives and priority areas of the new policy which principally based on the constitution of the Russian Federation.
Russia’s place in the world is determined by its significant resources in all areas of living, its status of a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, participant in the leading intergovernmental organizations and associations, one of the two largest nuclear powers, and the successor (continuing legal personality) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
Russia pursues an independent and multi-vector foreign policy driven by its national interests and the awareness of its special responsibility for maintaining peace and security at the global and regional levels.
Russian foreign policy is peaceful, open, predictable, consistent, and pragmatic and is based on the respect for universally recognized principles and norms of international law and the desire for equitable international cooperation in order to solve common problems and promote common interests.
Russia’s attitude towards other states and interstate associations is contingent on the constructive, neutral or unfriendly character of their policies with respect to the Russian Federation.
With the major trends and prospects for development, Russia will play its role as one of the leading centres of development in the modern world. It plans to maintain strategic stability, strengthen international peace and security; and to strengthen the legal foundations of international relations and to shape an equitable and sustainable world order.
One of its priorities is to deepen integration processes and seek mutually beneficial comprehensive cooperation system based on combined CIS and EAEU, and the states of the Central Asian region.
Russia aims at further strengthening the comprehensive partnership and the strategic cooperation with Asian and Pacific States including, first and foremost, People’s Republic of China, the Republic of India. Further, it will fortify relations with the States in the Middle East and North Africa, based on combining the capacities of all the states and interstate alliances of the regions, including the League of Arab States and the Gulf Cooperation Council.