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RUSSIAN-AMERICAN RELATIONS
In 2009 Russia-U.S. relations entered a new phase. Russian President Dmitry A. Medvedev and U.S. President Barack H. Obama agreed on the need to enhance the quality of relations between the two countries and announced the beginning of a process that is now known as the “reset”.
Bilateral cooperation priorities include working jointly in the interests of international security and strategic stability, combating international terrorism, facilitating the resolution of regional conflicts, developing trade and economic ties and expanding people-to-people contacts.
The first personal meeting between Presidents Dmitry A. Medvedev and Barack H. Obama took place on April 1, 2009 on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in London. Several months later, during a working visit of the American Рresident to Moscow (July 6-8, 2009), a number of important decisions on furthering bilateral partnership were taken. A Russia-U.S. Bilateral Presidential Commission on development of cooperation in key areas was created (coordinated by Russian Foreign Minister and U.S. Secretary of State). The Presidential Plan of Action in concrete spheres was also adopted. It is now being implemented by the Commission’s specific working groups.
Since its creation, the Commission has become one of the bodies that ensures the development of stable interaction between our countries. In less than two years, tangible results have been achieved in a number of areas. They include the common fight against Afghan and Pakistani drug trafficking, the creation of a joint Russia-U.S.-Canada Military Training Center, the identification of financial institutions rendering monetary assistance to Islamist terrorists, the disposition of plutonium and the creation of a joint national park in the Alaska and Bering Strait region.
On June 22-24, 2010, President Dmitry A. Medvedev paid an official visit to the United States. His trip to the Silicon Valley cleared the way for serious Russia-U.S. cooperation in the areas of innovations and high technologies.
In addition to meetings in a bilateral format, the two Heads of State regularly conduct negotiations on the margins of various international fora. Most recently they met at the G-8 Summit in Deauville, France on May 26-27, 2011, the G-20 Summit in Cannes and the APEC Summit in Honolulu in November, 2011.
Russian Foreign Minister and U.S. Secretary of State also stay in regular contact with each other.
The Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the U.S. Congress exchange visits on a regular basis in the framework of interparliamentary cooperation. The “Federation Council – Senate” Working Group is operating under the leadership of Mikhail V. Margelov, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Federation Council of Russia, and Sen. Benjamin Nelson, D-Neb.
A Congressional Russia Caucus focusing on trade and economic relations was created following a June 2011trip of a group of U.S. congressmen headed by Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) to Russia. The co-chairs of the Caucus are Congressmen D.Burton and G.Meeks.
A lot was achieved in strengthening the legal foundation of Russia-U.S. relations during the last two years. A significant number of bilateral intergovernmental and inter-agency agreements and MOUs were concluded on a wide range of issues. These include transportation, emergency response, law enforcement activities, etc. The signing and ratification of a new START Treaty was a crucial event that substantially defined the atmosphere of the Moscow - Washington partnership. On July 13, 2011, Russia and the U.S. signed the Agreement regarding Cooperation in Adoption of Children. This agreement created safeguards for the rights and well-being of adopted children in adoptive families. The mechanism of regular Russia-U.S. consultations on various topics of bilateral and international agenda has been established.
Russia-U.S. economic cooperation is also developing. In 2010 bilateral trade increased by 25% and reached $31.5 billion dollars (in 2009 - $23.6 billion), which is very close to pre-crisis levels. Investment cooperation is advancing. Among the most talked about business projects are the acquisition by PepsiCo of a Russian food and beverage producer Wimm-Bill-Dann for $3.8 billion dollars, as well as an agreement between Rosneft and ExxonMobil to explore the Black Sea and Arctic shelves proving for $1 billion dollars of investments into drilling. Russian Technologies State Corporation signed a contract with Boeing to purchase 50 airplanes for $3.7 billion dollars.
Plans to create Skolkovo Innovation Center provoked great interest in the U.S. Cooperation agreements were signed with such high-tech industry leaders as Microsoft, IBM, Intel, Google. Cisco Systems announced its intention to invest $1 billion dollars into the project. Boeing decided to create a large-scale research facility in Skolkovo. Siguler Guff investment fund offered to attract $250 million of private investments.
Russian companies and entrepreneurs are, in their turn, actively mastering the U.S. market. JSC Atomredmetzoloto acquired Uranium One’s uranium mines in Wyoming, internet provider Mail.ru bought instant messaging service ICQ, while Mikhail Prokhorov purchased the New Jersey Nets basketball team. Russian corporation Digital Sky Technologies accumulated 10% of shares of the social network Facebook.
The legal foundation of Russia-U.S. economic cooperation is constantly improving. Achievements include the signing of intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Area of Training of Management Personnel, as well as the Cooperation Agreement between the Federal Service of Intellectual Property, Patents and Trademarks (Rospatent) and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office of the Department of Commerce. The association of small and medium business “OPORA Russia” signed a partnership memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Council on Competitiveness.
In the framework of the Presidential Commission there are approximately a dozen of working groups aimed at developing economic cooperation in various areas – energy, advancing business relations, science and technology, agriculture, healthcare, etc.
The two countries continue their interaction within the Russian-American Pacific Partnership (RAPP), which held its 16th meeting on July 13-14, 2011 in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy.
The cultural ties between Russia and U.S. are developing. Russian art exhibitions, expositions of works from leading museums and tours by Russian classical music, theater and ballet performers traditionally become an important event in the U.S. social life. Performances by famous Russian ballet and opera companies, including Mariinsky and Bolshoi Theaters, are also highly successful.
The launch of a new program aimed at expanding cultural ties between Russian and U.S. students became a landmark event. This joint project of the Russian Embassy and the American University in Washington, DC was inaugurated on September 30, 2011 at the Library of Congress.
The 120th Anniversary of the New York Carnegie Hall was an outstanding cultural event on the U.S. musical scene. Distinguished Russian conductor Valery Gergiev and pianist Daniil Trifonov took part in the in the performance dedicated to the celebration of this anniversary.
A formal reception organized with the participation of the American-Russian Cultural Cooperation Foundation was held at the Russian Embassy to commemorate the 300th anniversary of prominent Russian scholar Mikhail Lomonosov’s birth.
The Russian Embassy and the Russian Cultural Center regularly hold musical and artistic events, which invariably gather large audiences of Russian art admirers. One of the most spectacular and memorable cultural events was the Ballet Ball of 2011.
Russia and the United States closely interact on current international and regional issues. They cooperate within international organizations and fora, primarily within the United Nations and the G-8. Special attention is paid to the strengthening the strategic stability and security and counteracting new challenges and threats that include the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, transborder terrorism and drug trafficking. The two countries also focus on resolving regional conflicts, ensuring sustainable development, food and energy security.
Cooperation in the military-political sphere is a vital part of Russia-U.S. relations. The Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms which was signed on April 8, 2010, entered into force on February 5, 2011.
Bilateral collaboration in the nuclear sphere is also developing. The intergovernmental Agreement for Cooperation in the Field of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy which was signed in 2008 came into effect on January 11, 2011.
The intergovernmental Agreement concerning the Management and Disposition of Plutonium Designated as no Longer Required for Defense Purposes and Related Cooperation signed back in 2000 entered into force on January 11, 2011.
Ties have also been established in the field of space exploration. Russia and the United States actively cooperate in conducting scientific experiments on exploring the Solar system.
Our countries have long been partners in ensuring the operation of the International Space Station (ISS). Russian manned and cargo spaceships regularly deliver crew members and necessary supplies to the ISS.