Third-term Putin Government's ‘Concept of Foreign Policy’ and Korea-Russia Cooperation

Sung Hoon Jeh and Boo Gyun Kang

Since 2000, Russia has announced a foreign policy doctrine under the Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation (hereinafter, the “Foreign Policy Concept”). The Foreign Policy Concept, which is created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and approved by a Presidential Decree, is the most basic document that defines the basic principles, preferential orientations, objectives, and tasks related to foreign policies, including foreign economic policy.

The Foreign Policy Concept updated on February 12, 2013 is structured in a similar manner as those of 2000 and 2008. In terms of content, however, it reflects the global economic crisis, and the changed global economic-political situation since the Arab Spring. Accordingly, it can be considered a new doctrine that defines the orientation of the foreign policies of the third-term Putin Government in that Russia’s priorities for the global and regional levels have been modified.

The implications of the adoption of the new Foreign Policy Concept are as follows: First, the third-term Putin Government's perception of foreign countries are well-established. The perception is that the world order is being transformed from the one once led by the U.S. to a multipolar system in which major powers share responsibilities. Moreover, there is an increase of instability and unpredictability on the global and regional levels because during the process of the transformation, the challenge is brought up due to persisting global economic crisis, changing balance of military power, increasing influence of ideological factors, risk solutions that deviates from the UN Security Council, and misuse of “soft power”.

Second, foreign policy tasks President Putin previously mentioned have materialized. Major contents of various articles, publicized by Putin during his premiership and presidential campaigns, have been systematized into foreign policy tasks. These ‘tasks’ revolve around the key contents of the “Decree by the President of the Russian Federation on Measures to Implement the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation (No. 605 of 7 May 2012)” signed by President Putin immediately after his inauguration on May 7, 2012.

Third, prior tasks on the global/regional levels have been readjusted. Russia's global-level priorities in terms of foreign policy have been readjusted to include the following: “Emergence of a New World Order”, which is based on a strengthened role of the UN and the collective leadership of major powers; “Rule of Law in International Relations”, centered around conformance with international legal norms and securing of national sovereignty; “Strengthening of International Security” through control of military power and reinforcement of trust regarding military issues; “International Cooperation in the Sphere of Economy”, for innovative development of the national economy and for minimizing risks; “International Humanitarian Cooperation” at the global level that contributes to the guarantee of human rights of the Russian diaspora and the enhancement of “soft power”; and “Information Support for Foreign Policy Activities”, which increases efficiency of the fulfillment of foreign policies.

Russia's regional-level priorities have also been modified and supplemented to reflect economic-political changes of and Russia's changed relationship with various regions of the world, such as the former Soviet region, Europe, USA, the Arctic and the Antarctic regions, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Northern Africa, the Latin Americas, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Most remarkably, Russia has presented a new framework for economic integration centered around the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), namely, the “Eurasian Economic Union”. It also has clearly expressed negative opinions and concerns about the activities of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and voiced a strong warning toward the foreign policies of USA as well as willingness to improve its relationship with USA at the same time. In addition, they have decided on their priorities regarding the Arctic and the Antarctic regions, which have never been mentioned in the past “Foreign Policy Concepts”. Moreover, reinforcement of relationship with countries in the Asia-Pacific and its neighboring regions has been further emphasized.

Given such a background, Korea's main tasks related to its cooperation with Russia are as follows:
First, Korea should consider the establishment of a cooperative relationship with the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space, which are being led by Russia in the former Soviet region aimed at the realization of the “Eurasia Initiative”. The “Eurasia Initiative” consists of proposals promoting the formation of the Eurasian economic zone by connecting economic zones in various parts of Eurasia, under the concept of “one continent”. Russia is forming a Customs Union and the Common Economic Space with Belarus and Kazakhstan, bordering EU on the west and APEC on the east. This forms the basis upon which the third-term Putin Government is attempting to establish the “Eurasian Economic Union” by 2015. In addition, other CIS countries are expressing their intentions to participate in such former Soviet regional economic integration. In order for Korea to become the starting point of the “Eurasian economic zone”, and the portal through which Eurasia and the Pacific are connected, it should consider establishing an institutional basis on which it can reinforce economic solidarity with the former Soviet regions, as well as with the Asia-Pacific. Accordingly, although the method of participating in such an initiative might require more policy reviews, it is deemed necessary for participation in the Customs Union and to establish a cooperative relationship within the Common Economic Space.

Second, as Russia is pursuing the development of its Far East region to take advantage of the potential of the Asia-Pacific, Korea urgently needs to expand Korea-Russia economic cooperation, which would target the area. As Russia has yet to resolve its conflicts with Europe and USA in areas of energy and national security, it would naturally reinforce its relationship with Asia-Pacific countries. In reality, the third-term Putin Government is giving much emphasis to economic-political emergence of the Asia-Pacific region, and is showing a significant interest in the expansion of economic cooperation with Northeast Asian countries, such as China, Japan, South Korea, and North Korea. Taking advantage of such a situation, therefore, South Korea should seek various measures to expand Korea-Russia economic cooperation in the region.

Third, as Russia is maintaining a balanced relationship with both Koreas while it pursues the realization of trilateral economic cooperation projects, Korea should actively utilize it to move forward with the “Korean Peninsula Trust Process”. South-North-Russia trilateral economic cooperation projects promoted by Russia to connect railways, construct gas pipelines, and interlink power system networks, will stimulate North Korea's economic development, and establish infrastructure connecting the South and the North in preparation for the unification of the Korean Peninsula. Therefore, the realization of the trilateral economic cooperation projects will be instrumental in moving the “Korean Peninsula Trust Process” a step further.

Fourth, Korea needs to establish and implement tasks of cooperation with Russia in the Arctic region. The fact that the Arctic region is mentioned in the “Foreign Policy Concept” for the first time in history clearly shows the special interest of the third-term Putin Government in the region. Korea-Russia cooperation in the Arctic region should be deemed significant. Considering that areas under Russian sovereignty or jurisdiction contain very large petroleum and gas reserves, and that it is required to pass through the waters under the Russian jurisdiction by using Russian ports and icebreakers in accessing the Arctic route, a new international maritime trading passage. Therefore, for Korea to enter the Arctic region in earnest, it needs to establish and implement cooperative tasks in a systematic manner through creating an “Overall Strategy for Cooperation with Russia in the Arctic Region” or a similar initiative.