VZCZCXRO7350
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHMO #2012 1971343
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 151343Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9019
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS MOSCOW 002012 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL RS
SUBJECT: MEDVEDEV TELLS RUSSIAN DIPLOMATS TO AVOID 
CONFRONTATION 
 
¶1. During a July 15 address to an assembly of Russian 
diplomats in Moscow, Medvedev provided an overview of 
Russia's foreign policy and called upon the diplomats to 
protect Russian interests while avoiding confrontation.  His 
address coincided with the release of the paper Concepts of 
Russian Foreign Policy that explained Russia would pursue a 
"predictable and pragmatic" foreign policy and not be drawn 
into confrontations potentially harmful to the country's 
domestic development.  According to initial press reports, 
Medvedev made the following points during his speech: 
 
-- Russia sees a need for a new European security treaty. 
Medvedev said that the current crisis over CFE and missile 
defense indicated that "all is not well" with the current 
European security structure, and hoped that it would not take 
a "complete and final breakdown of this regime" to 
demonstrate its "lack of viability."  Medvedev said he was 
pleased by the initial response to his proposal for a new 
European security treaty and was prepared to engage in a 
"creative and practical search" for solutions to the current 
political impasse. 
 
-  Russia will respond to U.S. missile defense system. 
Medvedev said that U.S. plan to deploy MD was "only 
aggravating" an already troubled political situation and 
Russia would "have to react appropriately." 
 
-- The strategic partnership between Russia and the EU could 
be a "support structure for a greater Europe without dividing 
lines."  Medvedev said this would include investment by 
Russia and the EU in each other's economies based upon agreed 
"rules." 
 
-- The UN must be strengthened and international institutions 
reorganized.  Medvedev said that recent experience in Iraq 
and the Middle East demonstrated the need to settle problems 
through international institutions; he called upon countries 
that bore "special responsibility for the world" to work 
within the existing international "architecture." 
 
-- All nuclear powers, not just Russia and the U.S., should 
be responsible for maintaining global stability.  Medvedev 
did not elaborate on this idea, but proceeded to call for an 
international agreement to prevent the nuclearization of 
space. 
 
-- Russia will develop relations with other countries "in a 
business-like and non-ideological manner."  Medvedev 
highlighted the improvement of Russian relations with 
non-western countries through this approach to foreign 
policy, which he contrasted with the USSR's "ideological 
investments" that supported corrupt regimes. 
 
-- The protection of Russian-speaking people in other 
countries is a priority for Russia.  Medvedev claimed that 
the rights of Russian-speakers and ethnic minorities were 
encroached upon in countries that willfully distorted history 
to justify illegal domestic and foreign policies.  In an 
oblique reference to former Soviet satellite states, he 
complained that certain countries had attempted to paint 
fascism as having been on a "civilizing and liberating" 
mission, and called upon these countries to "respect history 
instead of engaging in sly interpretations." 
 
¶2.  We will report septel on Medvedev's speech, including 
Russian reaction and the foreign policy concept paper, after 
additional information becomes available. 
BEYRLE