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Approved by the President of the Russian
Federation V. Putin, 28 June 2000
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(...)
To form a good-neighbor belt along the perimeter of Russia's borders, to promote elimination of the existing and prevent the emergence of potential hotbeds of tension and conflicts in regions adjacent to the Russian Federation; (...) To uphold in every possible way the rights and interests of Russian citizens and fellow countrymen abroad; (...) Integration processes, in particular, in the Euro-Atlantic region are quite often pursued on a selective and limited basis. Attempts to belittle the role of a sovereign state as the fundamental element of international relations generate a threat of arbitrary interference in internal affairs. (...) to protect the rights and interests of Russian citizens and compatriots abroad on the basis of international law and operative bilateral agreements. The Russian Federation will seek to obtain adequate guarantees for the rights and freedoms of compatriots in states where they permanently reside and to maintain and develop comprehensive ties with them and their organizations; (...) A priority area in Russia's foreign policy is ensuring conformity of multilateral and bilateral cooperation with the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to national security tasks of the country. The emphasis will be made on the development of goodneighborly relations and strategic partnership with all CIS member states. Practical relations with each of them should be structured with due regard for reciprocal openness to cooperation and readiness to take into account in a due manner the interests of the Russian Federation, including in terms of guarantees of rights of Russian compatriots. Proceeding from the concept of different-speed and different-level integration
within the CIS framework, Russia will determine the parameters and character
of its interaction with CIS member states both in the CIS as a whole and
in narrower associations, primarily the Customs Union and the Collective
Security Treaty. A priority task is to strengthen the Union of Belarus
and Russia as the highest, at this stage, form of integration of two sovereign
states.
Substantive and constructive cooperation between Russia and NATO is
only possible if it is based on the foundation of a due respect for the
interests of the sides and an unconditional fulfillment of mutual obligations
assumed.
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