Transcript of Address by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov
at MGIMO University on Occasion of Start of New Academic Year,
Moscow, September 1, 2006

Dear colleagues and friends,

It's a great pleasure for me by good tradition to congratulate the faculty and students of our higher diplomatic schools on the start of a new academic year today. I would like to wish you success in your studies and work, and a keen and enterprising approach to the subjects being studied. It is in student years that the foundation of professional knowledge and skills is laid, and the ideological and moral mainstay of a personality is shaped, without which it is impossible to worthily defend the national interests of the country in the international arena.

Diplomats in their daily communication with partners feel with particular keenness all the changes in the internal political and economic life of the country. Feedback shows itself clearly here: the internal strengthening of Russia makes our foreign policy more purposeful and productive, and Russian diplomacy more called for in world affairs. The strengthened Russia, let me note, has already become a major positive factor in the development of world processes. The psychological atmosphere surrounding our country and its representatives is changing: our approaches are set into others' own analysis, we are being counted on and much is being expected of us.

I think that diplomacy is now a particularly rewarding career for young people who want to do something for their country. The contemporary international situation throws a serious, extraordinary challenge to the professionals, including the imperative of a profound interpretation of the ongoing changes in the very architecture of international relations. This calls for a search of nonstandard decisions and for a creative approach to the matter in hand. The last fifteen years have seen important, sometimes fundamental changes in the world. An inalienable part of this transformation is the new Russia, whose role and responsibility in world politics are steadily growing. Hence largely the new tasks of Russian diplomacy, of which President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin spoke at the recent ambassadors conference.

The most important of these major tasks can be formulated thus: Russia must bear responsibility commensurate with its standing and capabilities for the state of affairs in the world, and participate not only in the implementation of a global agenda, but also in its formation. Today Russia has acquired an ability to look at things broadly, in an unbiased way, and without prejudices. This gives us no small advantage over the partners who tend to cling to the past. We can and should, in an enterprising way, to propose nontrivial moves and really secure the intellectual leadership of Russian diplomacy in dealing with complicated world problems.

Evidence of the high trust of the country's political leadership in the national diplomatic service and of the acknowledgement of its significant professional potential is the President's assignment to conduct a survey of foreign policy. The conduct of the survey is not an alteration of the course which has fully justified itself: Russia firmly holds a place in the mainstream of international life; not a single problem of some significance is tackled without our participation; the number of our partners and allies is growing. At issue is a possible - at the end of a comprehensive analysis of the situation - correction of our line in specific areas and on specific issues with regard to the new realities of international life, grounded forecasts of further evolution of the geopolitical situation and the increased capabilities of Russia.

Most experts acknowledge that the post-Cold War period is drawing to an end. This means that the most crucial, and inevitably contradictory moment is becoming imminent in the international situation. We do not expect that all elements of the ambiguity and uncertainty characteristic of the recent past will go away at once. The unpredictability of world development will persist. But on the joint efforts of the entire world community the clearing up of the question of a future world order will depend. We are convinced that everybody stands to gain from a forthcoming clarification of many fundamental issues in contemporary international relations.

In the international situation both positive and negative tendencies are making themselves felt. On the positive side we have a strengthened inclination for multilateral diplomacy, the collapse of the myths of recent past, a growing understanding of the unique legitimacy of the UN, and the ever wider spread in international practice of our foreign policy principles - such as pragmatism, multivectorness, the promotion of national interests, and nonconfrontationism. On the negative side we witness an expanded conflict space in world politics, the falling of arms control and disarmament problems off the global agenda, and attempts to impose on the world a hypertrophied significance of the factor of force.

Russia does not bear responsibility for these negative phenomena. We will never return again to support of new ideologized projects for world rearrangement. We will always oppose unsuitable elements of the previous system of international relations, such as bloc approaches and the dominance of selected groups of countries in global politics, being transferred into the new world order.

Russia has again acquired the ability and political will to pursue a truly national policy based on Russian interests. But Russia needs nothing which would not correspond to the interests of the entire world community. We fully agree with those who believe that contemporary problems, including those brought on by globalization, cannot be solved without a common vision of the contemporary historical epoch that requires truly world-wide solidarity. The globalization of opportunities as well as the challenges and threats to security and sustainable development leaves no room for national egoism and civilizational exclusiveness. Salvation can only be collective. Russia is determined to make its contribution to the common cause of shaping a new, more secure and more democratic world pattern, based on truly multilateral and legal principles.

The foreign policy independence acquired by Russia is the main achievement of recent years and an absolute imperative corresponding to the political and diplomatic tradition of Russia. It must be clear that with all the partners - without any discrimination whatsoever - we will cooperate only based on full equality, mutual respect for interests, and mutual benefit. We will insist on due consideration by partners for our lawful interests, including economic and humanitarian. Such was always the case, and it is not our fault that the inevitable difficulties Russia was confronted with in its development in the 1990s gave somebody grounds to exclude our country from belonging to active international players and assume that Russia could be co-opted into some configuration of states as a "junior partner."

We pursue an open policy, do not conceal our views and do not gloss over the existing differences with partners. With the growth of Russia's confidence in its strength not only have its partner qualities arisen by one order of magnitude. Our country has also become a more predictable factor of world politics. Russia will continue adhering to its principled approaches in international affairs and acting as a major factor of multilateral diplomacy and unifying politics, of reaching consensus and compromises without which an effective and joint response of the world community to the common for all challenges and threats is unthinkable. We will continue upholding national interests by using all the opportunities that may present themselves for this purpose. At the same time we will not succumb to provocations, will not allow Russia to be made a part of a new confrontational politics to which the forces are pushing us that stake on a new split in the world, this time on civilizational grounds.

By and large the new conditions dictate a new formula for leadership in the world of the 21st century - in an effort to shape uniform approaches with all the other leading powers. It is this approach that determines the positions of Russia in the framework of its current presidency of the Group of Eight. We have actively been promoting the expansion of the format of dialogue and engagement of this important forum with other leading powers. The very character of the priorities of the Russian presidency, including energy security and education development, indicates that truly global problems cannot be discussed, even less so tackled, in a narrow circle. With the participation of Russia this forum has acquired a new quality and has taken the path of adaptation to the conditions of the world of the 21st century.

Russia perceives no reasonable alternative to the formation in a globalizing world of a new collective leadership of major countries which would be geographically and civilizationally representative. The Group of Eight could become an important element of that "orchestra."

We note with satisfaction that on the part of our partners a sober, realistic view of contemporary Russia is establishing itself and that an intention is taking shape to conduct affairs with us on understandable and acceptable principles for us. Also an understanding of the irreplaceable role our country plays in world politics, of the impossibility without our keen involvement of a solution to all the key problems of contemporary world development, is forcing its way through. Overcoming the prejudices of the past concerning Russia is, first and foremost, the readiness to evaluate its foreign policy on the basis of uniform, universal standards, not specially created criteria. In response, I can assure you, Russia will always participate enterprisingly and honestly in the joint elaboration and implementation of a positive agenda of the world community. Russia will always be on the side of healthy forces ready to pursue a moderate policy and able to draw a distinction between the requirements of practical politics based on the lawful interests of states and their adherence to values whose interpretations inevitably differ.

Attempts to destabilize whole countries and regions under the slogans of "democratization and freedom promotion around the world" cannot but evoke concern. Not only not irreproachable in terms of international law and common sense, but also counterproductive is the line on isolating some or other players on the international scene. As a rule, that approach yields results directly opposite to those sought. That is why we cannot join the ultimatums which drive everybody into an impasse and lead to an escalation whose logic always works for force-based variants.

As to the use of force, events show us again and again that contemporary problems have no force solutions and that any factual use of force only proves the inadequacy of this instrument to the realities of today's world. Such was the case in Kosovo, that's how matters stand in Iraq, and the same conclusion follows from the recent tragic events in Lebanon. The military actions in that long-suffering country have proved only one thing: any war turns into a humanitarian catastrophe. The world community needs to draw lessons from these events, of which the main one is the urgent need to raise the effectiveness of the influence of the UN on international processes and on tackling concrete international problems.

It is the lingering unsettledness of the Arab-Israeli conflict, for which there can be no justification now, 15 years after the end of the Cold War, that has been the chief reason for such flare-ups of violence in the Middle East. Events again confirm that there is no reasonable alternative to politico-diplomatic solutions. And the international community has to sharply intensify its efforts for the earliest possible settlement in the region. I would like to hope that overcoming the consequences of the latest events on the Lebanese-Israeli border will become the first step on this road.

I cannot fail to say a few words about the extremely unfavorable state of affairs in the disarmament sphere too. The President in his recent address to the Federal Assembly spoke of this in sufficient detail. The flywheel of the arms race brings it to a new technological level threatening to lead to the appearance of a whole arsenal of destabilizing types of weapon, and the deployment of attack systems in space. The character of certain foreign weapon developments suggests inevitably that they are not intended for the struggle against terrorism, but for the solution of other, primarily strategic tasks. Naturally we are being forced to take this into account. Especially as a force-based approach towards solving problems in the sphere of international security continues to take root in the policy of a number of states.

We are ready for open, fair competition, including that in the CIS space where extraregional powers may also have their lawful interests. The main thing is that they should not be directed against Russia and that the game proceeds according to the rules understandable to all, without "hidden" agendas.

Generally in the CIS space we attach priority significance to the reformation of the Commonwealth so as to make it an effective instrument for tackling the common tasks for all the participants. The chief line in CIS activities, in accordance with the decisions of last year's Kazan Summit, remains the strengthening of the common humanitarian space - our common possession and a major resource of development of each state of the Commonwealth. In the economic field structures like the Eurasian Economic Community and the Common Economic Space are evolving quite dynamically, although we, of course, would like to speed up these integration processes. The Collective Security Treaty Organization plays a key role in countering new challenges and threats in the CIS space. It is called upon to become a real mechanism for ensuring regional security and stability. Overall, it is important to build up the dividends from the existing integration formats, and Russia intends to continue to play the most active role here.

One distinctive feature of this stage of our work is the ripe necessity of bolstering the resource support of foreign policy, including the creation of a national mechanism for development assistance. As President Putin noted at the ambassadors conference, our country should bear responsibility commensurate with its standing and capabilities for global social and economic development. There is also the urgent need for modernizing the instruments of our diplomacy, including more active engagement with the political science community and the promotion of the international activities of the civil society institutions of the country. Another thrust in bringing our diplomatic work into conformity with the requirements of the times is to strengthen the partnership with business on a broad spectrum of problems, including the fight against terrorism and the provision to the Russian corporate sector of worthy positions in the international division of labor, including global energy.

Let us not forget that energy interdependence (as a particular case of economic interdependence) is a major factor for the maintenance of international stability, whether in Europe, the Asia-Pacific Region, the Near and Middle East or globally.

The President also indicated that the level of present-day tasks determines the higher requirements to all who are engaged in foreign policy activities. Hence the necessity to seriously build up the cadre potential of the Foreign Ministry - as a major resource of our diplomacy. This cannot be achieved without the attraction of talented youth.

Close cooperation between the Foreign Ministry, and MGIMO and the Diplomatic Academy ensures the solution of this task to a large extent. It is gratifying that the ranks of young diplomats are largely replenished from among the graduates of the higher schools that form the MGIMO-led Foreign Relations and Foreign Policy Education Methods and Training Association. I regard this as a great service rendered by the leaders and faculty of MGIMO. There are also a considerable number of graduates of other Moscow and regional institutions of higher education coming to the diplomatic service today, which evidences the formation of a competitive environment on the labor market of experts on international affairs.

Of course, work to maintain a high level of qualification for graduates of the institutions of higher education must be conducted permanently. Otherwise we simply will not be able to keep abreast of the times. I shall note that most higher-school graduates coming to us to work really want to make their contribution to the common cause, and effectively and quickly master the practical aspects of diplomatic work. It is on such graduates that we stake and will support them in this endeavor comprehensively.

The struggle against the new challenges and threats, the overcoming of the inertia of bloc approaches and the support of Russian economic operators in foreign markets require of the diplomatic service nonstandard decisions and a thoughtful, creative approach. This is what the political leadership of the country expects of us. Everything is important here - the absence of the slightest hint of confrontationism and the calm and benevolent tonality of dialogue and a sincere interest in arriving at joint decisions and agreed actions. We must build our policy confidently, but without overconfidence, pragmatically but without egoism. Such a complex task can only be shouldered by well-trained, contemporarily thinking diplomats, profoundly understanding the vital interests of the country and ready with the utmost devotion to work for their realization.

I want to recall - and in this audience this theme undoubtedly evokes special interest - that the "educational" declaration adopted at the G8 St. Petersburg Summit emphasizes the importance of improving the quality and accessibility of education, expanding the teaching of foreign languages, and building up international academic contacts, including faculty and student exchanges. It is towards this objective that we orient the work of our institutions of higher education. In this academic year, using the facilities of MGIMO, the Russian European College will start working at full steam, which will constitute a significant step on the road of creating jointly with the European Union a common European educational space.

One of the important elements of the modernization of the educational base is the incipient flow of investment, including private, into college/university science. Hopefully, this money will help to transfer our university research centers onto an innovation footing and thus raise their competitiveness, including that on the international market of educational services. Today's opening ceremony for the Rosneft Chair at MGIMO is one more step in this direction.

In this connection, of course, it is necessary to mention MGIMO's fruitful ties with the Potanin Fund. Thanks to financial support from this fund about 30 best students of senior courses annually do practical work at the Russian embassies in "difficult" countries and countries with rare languages. Practically all of them come to serve with the Foreign Ministry. I would like other alumni to also follow the example of Vladimir Olegovich [Potanin] and not forget their "alma mater".

The Foreign Ministry leadership has set the task of ensuring the diplomatic service competitiveness on the internal labor market. In this context specific steps are being taken to soon improve the work conditions and financial remuneration of the diplomats considerably. It is of fundamental importance that this approach enjoys the support of the leadership of the country.

I am certain that the new generation of Russian diplomats has a great future, they have something to work on and where to apply their knowledge and skills, received within the walls of the University and Academy. They can comfortably do their job, feeling behind them the support of the country.

Once again I wish you a happy holiday, dear friends.