Medvedev outlined foreign policy priorities
Technology cooperation and the opening of visa-free travelling with the EU were among the top foreign policy issues highlighted by President Dmitry Medvedev in his address on the state of the nation on Tuesday.
The Russian President did express a hardline position on NATO’s plans for an anti-missile shield in Europe, saying that the exclusion of Russia from the plans would result in a new arms race in Europe, but at the same time outlined a foreign policy based on economic interests and wide-ranging international cooperation.
“Our foreign policy must now not only be expressed with missiles, but also with concrete achievements like the establishment of joint ventures in Russia, the appearance of cheap quality goods, more modern jobs and with the facilitation of the visa regime, Russian President Medvedev stressed, a transcript of the speech published at the presidential website reads.
The speech held in the Kremlin’s Georgiyevsky Hall had a high focus on demography and social issues, and especially the well-being of children and youth, but Medvedev still devoted space for several foreign policy points. Among them was the visa regime, which he said should “soon be abolished”.
Medvedev stressed that he wants to develop “economic diplomacy”, which will facilitate the modernization of Russian economy.
-Such a pragmatic approach meets understanding with our foreign partners, they are ready to share their experiences on innovative development, Medvedev said, mentioning several possible countries-contributors, among them Finland. The United States and the European Union were outlined as the most important partners.
The Russian President also highlighted the need for extended exchange mechanisms for experts and academics and maintained that Russia could become the initiator of a global and trans-European system on combating emergency situations.
