Глобализация и стратегические интересы России на английском языке

For Moscow and Brussels, this fact of accession of Russia to the WTO means fresh opportunities in the negotiations on a new basic agreement. "I am sure that it will give a very good additional impetus to the development of our relations, which is now at a very high level" Medvedev said in the beginning of the summit. - I hope, this will also intensify the negotiations on the basic agreement between Russia and the EU"⁵.

The constant theme of negotiations between Moscow and Brussels is cooperation in the energy sphere. The commercial launch of the gas pipeline "Nord stream" became a new milestone in it but a number of other contentious issues is also retained. One of the main problems with the Russian party is the Third energy package, the main requirement of which is the separation of business for the extraction and transportation of energy. The Russian "Gazprom" consider that the document of the EU is against it.

"We concern about application of the so-called Third pack of energy, and some other projects which are connected with the energy," the Russian leader said. In Brussels the EU confirmed that the EU would be ready at the technical level to discuss with Russia a compromise solution on the Third energy package.

 

U.S. policy toward Russia declares its commitment to partnership and commitment to pragmatic cooperation in areas of mutual interest. This is combined with more aggressive commitment to "push the negative Russia's actions". Nowadays Russian Federation has a dynamic and ambitious policy with a strong sense of its own prerogatives. Putin's Russia has repeatedly stated its determination to pursue their own national policies without regard to the opinion of others. Her reaction to political disagreement with the USA has become unproductive and dissuasive. Parallel persecution of the purposes of support of the development of Russia as a "strategic geopolitical partner" with a simultaneous "containment" of her behaviour can no longer be the right course in any respect.

Russian-American relations became a subject to excessive rhetoric discussion from both sides, the culmination of which Putin's remark at the Munich meeting 2007 may become, where he publicly condemned the "unipolar" model of the world order, where "one state, the United States, extended its national borders in all spheres".

Russia is a potential vital partner for the successful achievement of American interests in the new Eurasia. Support for sustainable non-aggressive regimes, international pressure to curb the dynamics of aggressive regimes like North Korea and Iran, counter-terrorism efforts, energy and environmental safety, nuclear strategic stability, the movement towards the establishment of the Eurasian regional order, which presupposes the deepening of democratization, expanding and stabilizing of the Euro-Atlantic community, a joint initiative of security among the strong the countries of East Asia (China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States) - it all depends on a more intense cooperation with the Russian Federation, more than ever before. The attractiveness of the idea of revival of Russia as a power in Eurasia is based on its Central role in the current energy system and transport infrastructure, deep economic dependence, significant investments, importance as a sales market and market of the labour force, the influence on the regional security structures, a strong culture.

Cooperation with the Russian Federation must not be a ghostly haze. The programs are already ready and collaboration projects which are aimed to reduce threats in the sphere of security work well. Despite some progress, which Russia has, it needs a positive and productive relationship with the United States and the West for the further modernization process, consistent integration into the world economy, the application of Western technological capacities for more than the full exploitation of its own resources and the achievement of key goals of national security in the Eurasian zone. Henry Kissinger once said about Russian-American relations, that "...the differences between countries are inevitable, if their interests diverge. But these differences can disappear when they have more area of cooperation"⁶. The search for ways to create this sphere of cooperation is important for successful American-Eurasian policy.

 

The functions of the WTO:

- control over the implementation of trade agreements concluded between the members of the WTO,

- organization and provision of trade negotiations among the WTO members,

- monitoring of the trade policies of WTO members,

- cooperation with other international organizations,

- the admission of new members,

- the resolution of trade disputes between the members of the..

The share of WTO members accounts more than 90 per cent of world trade in goods and services.

The calculation of the economic consequences of accession is objectively impossible. It is also confirmed by the fact that all developed countries have no exact and complete economic analysis of the benefits of their participation in the WTO. However, the fact that none of the more than 150 countries, including developing and least developed countries, not come out of the WTO, and the fact that countries which are not participating in the activities of organization want to join it, speaks that membership in the WTO contributes to their achievement of the national interests of countries.

The conditions of access of the Russian goods and services on the main markets are constantly deteriorating. Access to markets is a problem of economic security of the country. Discrimination should be eliminated. Russia will be able to conduct negotiations on the improvement of the conditions of access to markets (reduction of tariffs, removal of restrictions of the supply of services). Russia will get access to a quasi-judicial dispute settlement system of the WTO, and the possibility of forced execution of decisions⁷.

For the present Russia is isolated from participation in the development of new rules of international trade. Its interests in this work are not taken into account. As a result some decisions can be taken, which can endanger strategic interests of the country, for example, this applies to such new issues of WTO as trade and environment (environmental dumping), trade and social issues (social dumping), special rules for energy trade. Russia will be able to take part in the formulation of new rules of international trade due to its strategic interests.

Russian legislation is contradictory and inconsistent, and it can be unpredictably changed. This significantly hinders the normal development of economic activity, attraction of investments. Participation in the WTO implies the stability and transparency of the legislation, based on multilateral standards. It increases the attractiveness of state for foreign investment significantly.

The subjects of the Russian Federation often apply measures that prevent normal economic exchanges. In accordance to WTO rules, the participant must bring all its legislation, including which is at the regional level, in compliance with the General and specific obligations of Russia.

Lobbying interests of individual companies and groups can become a serious problem for the government and legislators. Participation in the WTO will substantially reduce the possibility of lobbying as Russia will be linked by strict obligations, including the obligation of non-discrimination.

Customs policy of Russia, as well as the policy of regulation of access to the market, is confusing and contradictory. Participation in the WTO will regulate access to the market.

Russia's early accession to the WTO will contribute to the improvement of the business climate in the country, and it will increase the competitiveness of its economy.

The integration of Russia and other countries of the CIS was moving very slowly, because of the accession to the WTO, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Armenia. Russia's participation in the WTO will contribute to the strengthening of relations within the CIS framework on the basis of agreements on free trade and the Customs Union.

Unfortunately, there are negative sides too. Russia will lose the opportunity to protect producers as tariffs will be bound and subsidies will be limited. The level of this tariff is a question for negotiations.

With regard to subsidies, the prohibitions relate primarily only to the export subsidies in the industry (they are not practically available in Russia).

The practice of selective subsidies in the last two years was limited to a minimum. A separate issue is the subsidizing of the agrarian sector, where all kinds of subsidies are permitted by the WTO. The task is to harmonize the reasonable level of such subsidies for Russia.

Russia will have to open the key markets of services, including financial ones, what will damage Russian national interests. It is also a matter of negotiations. Nowadays partners of Russia do not require the full liberalization of access to these markets. In addition, some of the measures are pledged in the obligations of Russia, the implementation of which will eliminate the negative impact of foreign competition even in the case of the full opening of the market of one or another service. At the present time the access for foreign suppliers is limited only in 6 sectors of services. In critical cases, Russia will be able to get out of the obligations on access to specific services market.

Russia will lose the opportunity to take those laws, which it wants to, and implement the sovereign economic policy. Russia has not sovereign in decision-making. More than 4,000 international treaties, in which it participates, limit the sovereignty of the Russian Federation. A number of these treaties (the Treaty to the Energy Charter, the Agreement on partnership and cooperation with the EU) contain obligations, identical or comparable with the obligations of the participants of the WTO. On the other hand, the decision of a number of important macroeconomic tasks is unrealistic without using the accumulated experience of other countries.

Participation in the WTO will lead to growth of expenses of the Federal budget. These expenses do not exceed 1-2 million dollars a year (membership fee, expenses on the maintenance of the device).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Strategic interests concerning The East: India and China

During an official two-day visit to India (21-22 December 2011) the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev on the results of his talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed a number of documents. The leaders of Russia and India issued a joint statement in which means that two countries have reached a fundamentally new level of relations - a privileged strategic partnership. Taking into account the analysis of current and prospective of bilateral cooperation it can be noted that the privileged strategic partnership will be based on trade-economic cooperation, cooperation in aircraft construction and space industry, military-technical and political cooperation.

Trade and economic cooperation

 

Both Russia and India launched ambitious programs of economic modernization. Russia needs the influx of outside capital and technology, and many Indian companies with good financial and technological capabilities, want to expand their global activities.

The bulk of Russian exports consists of aerospace vehicles and equipment, ferrous metals and products from them, components of objects of atomic energy; a wide range of nomenclature in the field of military-technical cooperation (MTC), grains, raw materials, electric machines and equipment, fertilizers, optical instruments and devices. India supplies to Russia, mainly, pharmaceutical and machine-building production of a wide profile, coffee, tea, tobacco and spices, clothing, including knitwear and textile products, a variety of food products.

India is becoming a large and growing consumer of electricity and energy resources, and Russia, as one of the world's largest manufacturers of power equipment and oil and gas products, is looking for a long-term and reliable customers in this region that is why it is planned to devote the Central place to energy issues in India-Russia cooperation.

Nowadays Russia looks at India as at one of the main customers of Russian energy equipment and technologies in the sphere of peaceful atom. Russia, which is building two power-generating units for station "Kudankulam", has agreed with the Indian partners parameters of giving a loan for "Rosatom" for the construction of the third and fourth power units of the nuclear power station. Russia is going to build in India 18 power units for nuclear power plants on three floors at once. Also, the Indian side has allocated a plot for construction of a nuclear power plant in West Bengal, and two countries have negotiations concerning the provision of one more floor for nuclear station. There will be not less than six blocks on each of them. This will add about 63 000 megawatts of nuclear energy to 2032⁸.

Members of the Russian delegation welcomed the decision of India of establishment of the center of the nuclear energy sector and expressed the readiness to discuss prospects of cooperation with it. Russia and India also agreed to consider the possibility of cooperation with countries of the third world in the field of use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes.

The agreement, which must serve as an effective mechanism on cooperation in this area, what will fasten the obtaining of government permission of the parties, was achieved in order to improve the work on creation of joint ventures between Russian and Indian companies in the oil and gas sphere.

In addition, the parties also agreed to promote specific projects for the promotion of direct business contacts between Russian and Indian oil and gas companies for the conclusion of mutually beneficial contracts between them, including the creation of joint venture on production, processing, transportation and sale of hydrocarbons to Russia, India and third countries.

Great prospects are observed on cooperation in the pharmaceutical industry. Now, the share of Indian pharmaceutical products in Russia exceeds 30%⁹. Russia proposed in the future come to the practical realization of joint ventures in this important area.

In order to accelerate the implementation of the the production of scientific developments in Delhi Russia and India also signed a Memorandum of understanding between the SKOLKOVO Foundation and the Corporation TataGroup on possible attraction of the Indian company TataSonsLimited to implementation of the projects on the basis of "SKOLKOVO" in areas such as communications and information technology, engineering, chemistry, energy. According to expert estimates, the amount of possible investments may exceed $ 3 billion.

At present the annual Russian-Indian trade turnover is about $10 billion. During the next five years, India and Russia hope to increase the trade turnover up to $20 billion. For the implementation of such ambitious projects a working group on development of the new trade agreement between India and Russia on trade and economic cooperation was created.

Cooperation in aircraft building and in the space sphere

 

Russia is interested in the Indian market, which has great prospects in the field of development of civil aviation. The peculiarity of Russian-Indian cooperation is that Russia not only offers the aircraft but also offers to take part in the joint development of civil aircraft, such as the "Superjet", an-148, Be-200.

The development of outer space allows Russia and India not only to conduct significant scientific research, but also to implement commercially advantageous programs, which include the project of using of the Russian satellite navigation system GLONASS, commercial programs for output to the orbit of the satellite, the program of manned space flight, the program of development of the moon.

Military-technical cooperation

 

India, like Russia, conducts a multi-vector foreign policy and maintains relations with many countries, including in the military-technical field. It is quite natural that Russian and Western producers of arms and military equipment have shown interest to cooperation with India. The crucial importance in the short term for the relations of India with partners in the PTS acquires tender for the supply of medium multirole fighters for the Indian air force, the potential value of which is estimated in 10-12 billion dollars. In this competition the Russian MiG-35 fighter was faced with stiff competition from American companies Boeing and Lockheed Martin," as well as Western European "Dassault", SAAB and Euro fighter". "We are ready for competition. The main thing, to fight for the contracts was carried out fairly and according to the rules", - said the head of the Russian state.

A characteristic feature of Russian-Indian interaction in recent years has been the transition from the links in the format "seller-buyer" to cooperate in the joint development, manufacture and marketing of high-tech products.

According to the Center of analysis of global arms trade, Russia implements most of the major programmes in the field of aviation equipment with India. A contract worth 295 million dollars for the preliminary design of the Indian version of the fighter of the fifth generation was signed in Delhi. "Rosoboronexport" and Indian Corporation HindustanAeronauticsLtd signed a contract for the development of a preliminary-the technical project of the multifunctional fighter of the fifth generation on the basis of the Russian T-50. The parties anticipate that the first flight of the Russian-Indian fighter will do in five years. According to Indian sources, the cost of the joint programme development and production of fifth generation fighter will be $8-10 billion. The financing of the project will be carried out on a parity basis. A new car is planned to be offered to customers for $85-100 million¹⁰.

The successfully realized projects of Russian-Indian cooperation can also be a joint production of cruise missiles "BrahMos" in the framework of joint venture "BrahMosAerospace". Military industrial Corporation "Scientific and production Association of machine building" and co-organization of BrahMosAerospace signed Protocol for the implementation of concluded contracts for the delivery of the missiles BrahMos for the needs of the armed forces of India in Delhi.

According to the available portfolio of orders, the share of Russia in the arms market of India in the period 2010-2013, will be a 49.5%¹¹. The experts emphasize that this indicator is quite conditional, because Russia has participated in several tenders which are held by India, and has good chances of a victory in a few of them. Part of the supplies for these programmes will be in the period up to 2013. Thus, the share of Russia in the market of India may change depending on their results.

The main competitors of Russia in the arms market of India are Israel, Great Britain, the USA, France, Ukraine, Italy, Sweden and a number of other countries.

Political cooperation

The President of the Russian Federation and the Prime Minister of India talked about the political relations between the two countries. The Russian side expressed its willingness to help India to achieve its key foreign policy goal (obtaining a permanent member of the UN Security Council). "Russia considers that India is a strong and worthy candidate to the UN Security Council," the Russian President said.

The situation in Afghanistan was also discussed, including the establishment of anti-terrorist, anti-drug belts, as well as the state of Indian-Pakistani relations. "We are cared of cooperation between these two countries", - the head of the Russian state said. - "We need to understand why the terrorist infrastructure in the region continues to survive, in spite of every effort of the international community," he said. Russia, like India, shares a common concern about the threat posed by terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and Pakistan to Central Asia, and further to Russia and in India.

Thus, the negotiations in Delhi showed that the two sides have confidence in the fact that two countries will not develop relations with a third one if it hurts vital interests of the other. Therefore, on the whole, Russia and India could set a more ambitious way of promotion of the strategic partnership in the coming decades, which will raise the bilateral relations to a higher level - a privileged strategic partnership.

 

The Chino - Russian relations in their current form have the form of a "strategic partnership", which is seen as the high level of the bilateral relations. The commonality of the positions of the two countries in regard to the system of global and regional international relations, the lack of differences and disputes, confrontation and rivalry between the two countries, as well as the presence of important common interests caused the desire of the parties to the maximal expansion and deepening of the relations. In contrast to China's ties with the European Union, in which a key element is the economic component, the Chino-Russian relations is mainly formed in the area of policy and security. This statement is proved by indicators of the volume of China's trade with Russia in comparison with turnover of China and the countries of the European Union. The trade turnover between China and Russia for 10 months of 2010, were slightly higher than $ 45 billion, while during the same period, the volume of trade between China and the European Union exceeded $ 210 billion. In other words, the general problems in connection with the existing threats and common positions on international issues, both at the regional and at the global levels, are the main factors influencing the formation of the relations between the two countries¹².

China and Russia consider that the current unipolar world order threats their interests and their national security, and seek to direct the development of the international system to a multipolar device. Therefore, both countries have started to strengthen regional mechanisms together with the inner consolidation with the purpose of weakening the order, which the United States want to set. It was particularly true during the period of staing Bush as the President of the United States (the idea of a single-pole world). In fact, from the very beginning of the planting of the American plan of the new order China and Russia try to weaken this concept.