Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree approving the Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation. March 31, 2023 Kremlin, Moscow.

             General provisions (Digest created by Vladmir Khlynin)

       The provided text discusses the special position of Russia in the world, which is determined by its over a thousand-year-old experience of independent statehood, cultural heritage, deep historical connections with traditional European culture and other Eurasian cultures, and the ability to ensure the harmonious coexistence of various ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups on its territory.
       Furthermore, the text emphasizes that Russia's place in the world is defined by its significant resources in all areas of activity, its status as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, its participation in leading intergovernmental organizations and associations, its position as one of the two largest nuclear powers, and its status as the successor state of the Soviet Union.
       Considering Russia's decisive contribution to the victory in World War II and its active role in creating the modern system of international relations and eliminating the global system of colonialism, Russia serves as one of the sovereign centers of global development and has a unique mission to maintain the global balance of power and build a multipolar international system to ensure the peaceful and progressive development of humanity based on a unifying and constructive agenda.
       Finally, the text notes that Russia conducts an independent and multi-vector foreign policy dictated by its national interests and the realization of its special responsibility for maintaining peace and security at the global and regional levels. Russia's foreign policy is characterized as peaceful, open, predictable, consistent, pragmatic, and based on respect for universally recognized principles and norms of international law, and a commitment to equal international cooperation in solving common problems and promoting common interests. Russia's attitude towards other states and intergovernmental associations is determined by the constructive, neutral, or unfriendly nature of their policies towards the Russian Federation.


                Оriginal text:

1. The Current Concept is a document of strategic planning and represents a system of views on the national interests of the Russian Federation in the field of foreign policy, basic principles, strategic goals, main tasks, and priority directions of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation.

2. The legal basis of the Current Concept is comprised of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, universally recognized principles and norms of international law, international treaties of the Russian Federation, federal laws, and other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation, regulating the activities of federal bodies of state power in the field of foreign policy.

3. The Current Concept specifies certain provisions of the National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation, takes into account the basic provisions of other strategic planning documents that affect the field of international relations.

4. Russia's unique position as a self-sufficient state with a more than thousand-year history of statehood, cultural heritage preceding its era, deep historical ties with traditional European culture and other Eurasian cultures, and the ability developed over many centuries to ensure harmonious coexistence of various peoples, ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups on a shared territory, define Russia as a distinctive state-civilization, an extensive Eurasian and Euro-Pacific power that has united the Russian people and other nations, forming the cultural-civilizational community of the Russian world.

5. Russia's place in the world is determined by its significant resources in all areas of life, its status as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, a participant in leading intergovernmental organizations and alliances, one of the two largest nuclear powers, and the state-successor of the USSR. Given Russia's decisive contribution to the victory in the Second World War, as well as its active role in creating the modern system of international relations and eliminating the global system of colonialism, Russia is one of the sovereign centers of global development, carrying out a historically established unique mission to maintain the global balance of power and establish a multipolar international system, ensuring conditions for peaceful, progressive development of humanity based on a unifying and constructive agenda.

6. Russia pursues an independent and multi-vector foreign policy dictated by its national interests and awareness of the special responsibility for maintaining peace and security at the global and regional levels. Russia's foreign policy is characterized by a peaceful, open, predictable, consistent, pragmatic nature based on respect for universally recognized principles and norms of international law and a commitment to equal international cooperation to solve common tasks and promote common interests. Russia's attitude towards other states and intergovernmental associations is determined by the constructive, neutral, or unfriendly nature of their policies towards the Russian Federation.