Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday approved Russia’s updated new foreign policy that emphasizes strengthening strategic partnerships and trade ties with India and China, while identifying the West as an “existential” threat.
The 49-page document places a special focus on enhancing cooperation with India in Eurasia, based on the five pillars of politics, defense, civil nuclear energy, counter-terrorism cooperation, and space.
“The Russian Federation intends to give priority to the elimination of vestiges of the dominance of the United States and other unfriendly countries in world politics,” the document stated, outlining the elimination of Western dominance in global politics as a top priority.
In addition, the new foreign policy aims to enhance the capacity and international role of the interstate association of BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the RIC (Russia, India, China), and other international organizations with strong Russian participation.
Despite ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, India has maintained or gained importance in Russia’s foreign policy. During the Cold War, India and Russia had a close strategic, military, economic, and diplomatic relationship, and the new foreign policy document highlights the importance of India as an ally in a multipolar world.
The policy aims to increase the volume of bilateral trade, strengthen investment and technological ties, and ensure resistance to destructive actions of unfriendly states and their alliances.
The adoption of this new foreign policy by Putin is expected to have significant geopolitical implications, particularly in the context of strained relations between Russia and the West. While the new policy emphasizes building closer ties with India and China, it also seeks to reduce the influence of Western powers in global politics.
In conclusion, the new foreign policy strategy adopted by Russia emphasizes India and China as allies, highlights the importance of a multipolar world, and prioritizes the reduction of Western dominance in global politics