Putin Approves New Russian Foreign Policy Doctrine

President Vladimir Putin has approved a new foreign policy doctrine focusing on economic interests, the rights of Russians abroad and intelligence gathering, the Ria-Novosti news agency reported Saturday in Moscow.

Putin endorsed on Friday a document already adopted by the Russian Security Council on March 24 before his election in May, Ria-Novosti said.

A top priority for the foreign ministry would be to defend Russian economic interests abroad, the agency reported.

The document also focuses on the situation of Russians living in the 14 other former Soviet constituent republics.

Moscow has been particularly concerned at the alleged discriminatory treatment of Russian minorities in the Baltic republics + Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Sergei Ivanov, secretary of Russia's influential Security Council, was quoted as saying Russians abroad should be entitled to the same rights as other citizens of the countries in which they live.

Ria-Novosti also said the role and tasks of the Russian foreign intelligence services would be enhanced under the new foreign policy conception, without giving further details.

Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov was quoted as saying: "The special thing about this new conception is that it's more realistic than the one approved in 1993."

Vyacheslav Trubnikov, former head of foreign intelligence, was appointed first deputy foreign minister last Wednesday.

He will have special responsibility for relations between Russia and the 11 other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the loose grouping of now-independent countries that were formerly constituent republics of the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991.

The three Baltic republics are the only of the 15 former Soviet republics not to have joined the CIS.

The new foreign policy doctrine is linked to a new Russian security doctrine adopted by the Kremlin earlier this year, under which Russia hardened its line on use of its nuclear arsenal.

The new defence policy goes further than the previous one drafted in 1997, which reserved for Russia the right to carry out a first nuclear strike in response to "an armed aggression that seems to threaten the very existence of the Russian Federation."

The latest version says Russia envisages the possibility "of using all forces and means at its disposal, including nuclear weapons, where all other means to settle the crisis have been exhausted or have proved ineffective."

Ivanov said in February the new military doctrine threatened no one.

"Russia is not threatening anyone and does not intend to use its nuclear forces to bring pressure," he said.



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