RUSSIAN DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ALEXEI MESHKOV'S INTERVIEW WITH THE NEWSPAPER VREMYA NOVOSTEI, PUBLISHED ON FEBRUARY 6, 2004, UNDER THE HEADING "RUSSIA IS BY NO MEANS A SUPERNUMERARY IN THE BIG EIGHT"

Unofficial translation from Russian

Question: In the US Congress, calls are being made for Russia to be dropped from the Big Eight (G8) of developed states.

Answer: Russia is by no means a supernumerary in the Big Eight, an informal, but important forum at which global problems are discussed. In 2006 Russia will hold the G8 presidency, which imposes on us some extra responsibilities and requires serious preparation. Dozens of meetings at the ministerial level and sessions of working groups are held during a one-year presidency.

All of this is prepared by the presiding country. Against the present, complex background of international relations Russia looks quite well and is only strengthening its positions in the G8. The dynamic evolution of our economy is also beginning to influence the pace of development of a large group of states, in particular in the CIS.

Question: The talk to have Russia out arises also because the image of Russia has somewhat paled abroad in connection with the latest events in our country.

Answer: It is obvious that Russia firmly standing on its feet and upholding its national interests is not to everybody's liking. There are forces in the world that still live in Cold War stereotypes and try to present Russia in a negative light.

Question: It is a task of the Foreign Ministry to show the world an objective image of Russia, isn't it?

Answer: To accomplish this task, set for us by the President, we use both traditional instruments and the newest technologies. In particular, Internet resources. Today our Foreign Ministry's Web site, working in real time and in five languages, is one of the most visited. Such openness allows for realistically assessing the development vector of Russia and of our foreign policy thought. Our embassies also have Web sites in most countries of the world. The diplomats are working with local public opinion: holding lectures, participating in seminars, publishing articles. And not by imposing a cheap popular image of Russia, but giving an objective idea of its development along the road of market reforms. Yes, there are problems too.

But who doesn't have them? It is the task of diplomacy to help the creation of a fabric of interstate exchanges which would allow these problems to be removed as well.

Question: And what is the strategic aim of Russia's foreign policy?

Answer: It is the formation of a world order corresponding to the interests of the Russian state and each Russian. Not a single regional organization, not a single state, however strong, can solve world problems alone. The teamwork of all the players is needed. And this is possible only on the basis of multilateral, universal institutions, primarily the UN.

Question: Did anything change in the Russian foreign policy strategy in 2004? Russian political observers are suggesting that Moscow tie its priorities to the events in Iraq and to NATO's eastward expansion?

Answer: The foreign policy year does not begin with the new calendar year, but with the President's annual address, which was delivered last summer. It sums up the work for the past year and determines movement guidelines for the future. And the strategic line is reflected in the foreign policy concept, approved by the President in 2000. Its key elements: the protection of our national interests and those of every citizen of Russia; and the development of multilateral diplomacy. The foreign policy priorities of Russia are not reduced to any particular organizations or crises, we have a multivector foreign policy. Of course, we do have a keen interest in the speediest overcoming of the Iraq crisis, to be accomplished on the basis of international law, with the active participation of the United Nations.

Our relations with the same NATO are dynamically evolving, but our interests in Europe are significantly wider than the military-political field. An important priority is the development of relations with the European Union. After the upcoming enlargement of the EU it will account for more than 50 percent of Russian trade.

Question: What is important for Russia in the European sector outside the military-political sphere?

Answer: It is questions of ensuring the rights of the Russian-speaking population in Latvia and Estonia - by the way, future members of the EU and NATO. It directly meets Russians' interests, Russia's accession to the Bologna Process (the ultimate aim of this process for Russians being the mutual recognition of diplomas - Ed.), providing for them equal access to higher education in Europe.

Question: For a trip to Europe it isn't easy for Russians to obtain a Schengen visa...

Answer: "Schengen" is a flexible mechanism. Currently there is considerable focus on maximally facilitating the existing visa regime with individual states on a bilateral basis, but taking the Schengen norms into account. Last year an agreement was signed with Germany, and we are now working on such agreements with France and Italy.

Question: Promoting the interests of Russian business abroad is still the task of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

Answer: This is one of the priorities set for us by the President. The stability of bilateral relations with any state largely depends on the level of economic ties. Support for Russian business abroad is a task not only economic, but also political.