Report №4 / 2012
The Postulates on Russia’s Foreign Policy developed with the participation of the Russian
International Affairs Council’s members and experts discuss Russia’s position in the international
arena, the role of global challenges in shaping the foreign policy agenda and outline foreign
policy priorities for the period from 2012 to 2018. The main purpose of the Postulates is
to encourage a public discourse about new contours and orientation of Russia’s foreign policy
and to devise the solutions to be protected against traditional and emerging security challenges.
Report №4 / 2012
The purpose of the proposed Postulates is to give an overview of the current international position of Russia, sum up the threats and challenges facing the country, formulate the priorities of the Russian foreign policy for the next six years (2012-2018), and on this basis offer some practical steps towards meeting the foreign policy objectives in key areas.
The Postulates are designed to help promote a start of a fruitful expert discussion on the development path of foreign policy in the short and long term. Such a discussion is relevant, because Russia is entering into a new political cycle, during which it would have to implement socio-economic and political modernization against the backdrop of a rapidly changing external environment.
In the proposed Postulates as well as in its activities, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) proceeds from the basis that the Russian foreign policy should be post-partisan in nature, represent the interests of the whole society rather than of the separate groups and political movements. Moreover, discussion of a wide range of foreign policy issues is of purely practical significance for RIAC. It is necessary to clarify the priorities of RIAC, identify the niches and gaps in the expert and analytical support of our foreign policy. In filling these niches and gaps, RIAC could take part in formulating specific recommendations for state authorities.
I.S. Ivanov
President of RIAC
Postulates on Russia’s Foreign Policy, PDF, 734 Kb