Kremlin website, 3/31/23

The President held, via videoconference, a briefing session with permanent members of the Security Council to discuss the updated version of the Russian Federation Foreign Policy Concept and other current issues.

Taking part in the meeting were Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin, and Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues.

We will begin our meeting today with a discussion on the Concept of the Russian Federation Foreign Policy.

Radical changes in international affairs have forced us to seriously revise our main documents on strategic planning, including the Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation, which sets out the principles, tasks and priorities of our diplomacy.

The Foreign Ministry, working together with the Presidential Executive Office, the Security Council Staff, the Government and many ministries and departments, has completed a large-scale and meticulous job to update and adjust the concept to modern geopolitical realities.

Today I have signed an Executive Order approving the updated Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation.

I would like Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to report on its key provisions.

Mr Lavrov, go ahead, please.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: Thank you.

Mr President, colleagues,

Mr President, as you said, this is a strategic planning document drafted by our Ministry in conjunction with other federal executive bodies. It builds on foreign policy provisions that are included in the National Security Strategy approved by you in 2021.

The concept shows a high degree of continuity with the previous version of 2016 in terms of the fundamental principles underlying our foreign policy, primarily its independence and focus on creating favourable external conditions for Russia’s progressive development, ensuring its security and improving the well-being of our citizens.

Mr President, you said earlier that the logic of the document reflects the changing geopolitical reality, in fact, revolutionary advances in the international sphere which have received a sizable boost with the start of the special military operation.

In particular, the unprecedented level of international tension over the past decade is a fact of life. The existential nature of threats to our country’s security and development that are being created by unfriendly states has been recognised. The document designates the United States as the main originator and vehicle of the anti-Russian policy. Overall, the policy of the West that is aimed at the all-out degrading of Russia is described as a new type of hybrid war.

A description of the key long-term international development trends is provided, including the crisis of economic globalisation, which until recently was following the American rules.

The fact that the global economy is undergoing a major structural overhaul on its way to a new technological basis is among the factors. The redistribution of growth potential in favour of new centres of growth is leading to the creation of a multipolar world order, which is the key trend in current international relations.

In the Concept, we presented our vision of the principles of a more balanced and fairer world order, such as polycentricity, sovereign equality of countries, ensuring their right to choose development models and upholding the cultural and civilisational diversity of the world. Assistance in establishing a multipolar world order is defined as a framework task for all areas of foreign policy.

It emphasises the need to ensure the rule of law in international relations and declares that the progressive development of international law must consider the realities of today’s world. In the face of acute external threats, our readiness to observe the principle of indivisible security is reaffirmed, but only in relation to those countries and their associations that show reciprocity in this matter.

The approach to work at the UN focuses on increasing the effectiveness of this organisation and reaffirming its fundamental goals and the principles of its Charter, which the West is trying to undermine with its practical actions.

Important innovations are envisaged in the conditions for the use of force in self-defence as part of unconditional adherence to the relevant requirements of Article 51 of the UN Charter.

The Concept provides for the possibility of taking symmetrical and asymmetrical measures in response to unfriendly actions against Russia.

There is a paragraph on the use of the Armed Forces to repel or prevent an armed attack on Russia and its allies. Thus, we unequivocally declare that we will defend the right of the Russian people to existence and free development.

The Concept elaborates on provisions that affect the protection of Russian traditional spiritual and moral values, and the building of cooperation based on a single spiritual and moral compass, common to all world religions.

It absolutely rejects neocolonial practices and any kind of hegemonism.

The unconditional priorities include ensuring the rights of our people and organisations abroad, providing support to compatriots, countering Russophobia, strengthening the position of the Russian language in the world, fighting for historical truth, protecting our culture, depoliticising sports, and establishing new forms of sports cooperation.

The regional section of the Concept places an emphasis on Russia’s strategic interests in the context of deepening Eurasian integration based on the Union State of Russia and Belarus, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, the CIS, the formation of a greater Eurasian partnership, and the further strengthening of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS.

The policy on unlocking the potential of strategic partnership with our great neighbours – the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of India, the countries of the Islamic world, as well as countries of ASEAN, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean – has been enshrined as a vital resource.

The commitment to a peaceful solution to all issues that may arise in the Arctic region has been confirmed.

The Concept provisions state that unfriendly states’ anti-Russian moves will be consistently and, if need be, firmly stopped.

The idea that we are not isolating ourselves from the Anglo-Saxon countries and continental Europe and do not have hostile intentions towards them has been clearly conveyed. However, they must realise that pragmatic interaction with Russia is possible only if they realise the futility of a confrontational policy and refuse to pursue this kind of policy in their practical actions. It will be up to us to decide to what extent the West is ready to follow these recommendations.

Overall, Mr President, we have a difficult job ahead of us to implement our foreign policy in fundamentally new circumstances. We will spare no diplomatic effort to accomplish what we set out to achieve in close coordination with other agencies and will report to you regularly on progress based on the Executive Order that you signed on possible additional steps in individual areas.

Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

I think the above Concept serves as a robust doctrinal basis for further activities in the international arena.

In practical terms, I would like to ask our colleagues who engage in implementing the single foreign policy to pay special attention to expanding ties with our constructively-minded partners and to creating the conditions for unfriendly states to abandon their hostile policies towards our country.

Importantly, our long-term planning should include the entire array of factors and trends in international relations, enhance Russia’s sovereignty and increase our country’s role in addressing global issues and shaping a fairer multipolar world order.

Without a doubt, the Foreign Ministry should, in a collaborative effort with other agencies, play a coordinating role in implementing the Concept.

In closing, I would like to thank everyone who was directly involved in drafting the Concept. What we got in the end is a balanced document that will underlie our practical actions in the medium and longer term.

Thank you very much.

Let’s move on to the next issue.