BOOKMARKS www.gorby.ru/en Gorbachev Foundation
www.cdi.org/russia/johnson Johnson’ Russia List
RUSSIA NOW WWW.RBTH.RU
07
www.wto.ru Information Office on Russia’s Accession
SECTION SPONSORED BY ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA, RUSSIA
to the WTO DISTRIBUTED WITH THE DAILY TELEGRAPH TUESDAY_SEPTEMBER 29_2009 Politics
Interview Gorbachev and a new perestroika? Opinion
Medvedev can do it
Playing the global game
with the WTO
ALEXEY PORTANSKIY
Will Dmitry Medvedev live up to
HEAD, INFORMATION OFFICE ON
the expectations world leaders
RUSSIA’S ACCESSION TO THE WTO
have placed in him? Is Russia ‘We must have free-
prepared to make the changes
dom so people can
the president outlined in his
recent article? The man who
feel confident in
once faced similar crossroads
themselves. Let them
believes it can happen. be wrong: everyone Joining the World Trade Or- is understandable, given the
makes mistakes. But
ganisation is the main priority substantial decline in prices
ARTEM ZAGORODNOV
as long as dialogue
of Russia’s economic policy. for oil and gas – Russia’s key
RUSSIA NOW
takes place, we’ll en-
This idea took shape in the exports. Will Russia be able
early 2000s, and Russia’s to diversify its exports? Put
Mededvev’s article – published ter a new epoch’ interest has not wavered. simply, it must do so, or it will
on the opposition-leaning Today, the issue is back in the come to a dead end, as Presi-
Gazeta.ru website – brooded spotlight; not just for Russia, dent Dmitry Medvedev has
over “excessive government but also for the WTO partners repeatedly said recently.
presence in many significant involved in accession talks. Export diversification is just
aspects of economic and other There are two important fac- one part of the total effort
social activities.” He slated Rus- tors: the global economic to modernise the national
sia’s economy, which “still re- crisis, and the creation of economy: neither is possible
fl ects the major fl aw of the So- a Customs Union involving without WTO membership.
viet system [and] largely ig- Russia, Kazakhstan, and Be- It is possible to encourage
nores individual needs”. larus – who would all like to competitive production, but
Medvedev wrote “civil society JUAN BARRETO_AFP enter the world trade family finished-product markets have
is weak” and suffers from a While Gorbachev may never be entirely understood at home, he is surprisingly unburdened by regret simultaneously. long been divided, differentiat-
“lack of initiative, lack of new The economic crisis has af- ing them from raw-material
ideas, outstanding unresolved fected politicians and people markets: it is impossible to
issues, the poor quality of pub- loss of empire. When he made a their own people,” he explained, dev has been less than exuber- all over the world. However, penetrate them without joining
lic debate, including criticism”. bid for the presidency in 1996, pounding the table for empha- ant about the party’s prospects: not all measures in response the WTO. In turn, modernisa-
Most importantly, in stark con- he fi nished with just 0.5pc of the sis. “We need people to get in- “We’ll have to hold meaningless to the global downturn have tion paves the way to interna-
trast to many among Russia’s vote. volved, and share ideas with rallies and gather signatures in turned out to be the right ones. tional markets for goods, serv-
ruling elite, he reached out to While it is clear that Gorbachev policy makers.” half of Russia’s regions…and At the beginning of 2009, there ices, and intellectual property,
his constituents. He called on may never be entirely under- Gorbachev recently attracted then our application will be re- was a widespread belief in and, significantly, on an equal
“all those who share [his] con- stood at home he, too, is looking headlines for criticising Putin’s jected because of some mis- Russia that the country was footing. Again, this requires
victions to get involved… [as forward and is surprisingly un- statement that he would “sit spelled word.” lucky to be outside of the WTO entry.
well as] those who do not agree burdened by regret. down” with Medvedev and de- Medvedev, however, talks the WTO on the grounds that, If Russia stays out of the
with [his] ideas but sincerely “[My opponents] used the situ- cide who would be president in talk of a multi-party system. “I otherwise, it would have WTO, Russian producers and
desire change for the better”. ation to destroy the Union and 2012. “What about the people? think Medvedev is a very edu- been much more difficult to exporters will face increas-
“Our people like to say, in [poet undermine me as president. The people have to decide who cated, thoughtful and demo- introduce protectionist meas- ing difficulties in international
Vladimir] Mayakovsky’s words, They were eager for Ukraine’s will be president,” Gorbachev cratic person. But he must form ures. However, the idea lost markets. WTO membership
‘We can’t do anything. Let the declaration of independence. characteristics a leader needs. its appeal just as quickly. It will provide an opportunity to
leaders think’,” mused Mikhail What Union could there be He must learn to feel the pulse appeared that many of the enter new markets, offering
Gorbachev. Age has taken its without Ukraine?” he said. ‘I think Medvedev of the country’s life, to take hits measures aimed at protecting the potential for significant in-
toll on the former leader. But his The man who once led nuclear
is a very educated,
and defend his positions,” Gor- the domestic market failed to creases in export revenues.
phenomenal memory and en- weapons reduction negotia-
thoughtful and demo-
bachev added. produce the desired effect. Without WTO membership,
gagement with the future bur- tions with President Reagan In this sense, Russia’s non- Russia will also lose out from
ies any suspicion of mental fee- and accepted the Nobel Peace
cratic person. But he
He was less flattering toward
United Russia, the primary pro- WTO status is unlikely to have failing to participate in work-
bleness. Prize, recently advised Barack must form character- government party: “It’s a poor helped it through the crisis. ing out new global trade rules.
“Medvedev’s article was a gen- Obama prior to the fi rst summit
istics a leader needs.
copy of the CPSU (Communist Some economists were close This is exactly the situation we
uine appeal to his people. That’s with a newly elected
He must learn to feel
Party of the Soviet Union). A re- to predicting the collapse of see given Russia’s absence at
very important. Medvedev. global financial and economic the current WTO Doha round.
“He didn’t get too specifi c, but “A few years ago I was at a
the pulse of the coun-
cent electoral law brought
changes to Russia’s political institutions, including the WTO. Moreover, if Russia fails to
that wasn’t his goal. It was his major university in the Mid- try’s life’ system. An overwhelming ma- But it was the WTO which join the organisation before
calling to us to get involved in west,” he recalled. “They pres- jority of those changes were ex- warned the G20 leaders of the the end of the negotiations, it
solving the problems he pre- sured me into answering ques- clusively favourable toward danger of excessive protec- could face updated require-
sented. In that, he was success- tions about America. I told said. United Russia. I’d challenge tionism. The conclusion was ments for accession which, in
ful,” explained Gorbachev. them: ‘You’re going through a “If we come out of this crisis, you to try and pass any initia- based on results from moni- turn, will lead to a new round
He reminisced about his own process everyone goes but don’t reform our economic tive without that party’s sup- toring protectionist measures of discussions.
turbulent and historic years of through. and political structures, we’ll port. It’s not right.” taken by national govern- Russia wants to be a predict-
power and transformation. He “In our time, we had recognised find ourselves at a dead end. In the same vein, President ments. If national governments able trade partner, relying on
is keenly aware that, for Rus- that we needed a perestroika. We’ll go in circles, but with Medvedev said recently,“I don’t manage to create a system of WTO principles and rules.
sians, the Gorbachev era still Today, you need your own per- harsher consequences each know how much longer United global governance – an idea This is vital for Russia’s key
begs the question: at what price, estroika.’ Can you imagine? time. Medvedev was right in Russia’s triumphant power will which took on added impor- trade and economic part-
reform? Everyone in the audience, that we need to switch to a new continue.” tance during the crisis – the ners – in the first place, the
“Falling oil prices were a big professors, students and visi- model of development, one with He predicted that in the future, WTO is likely to play a vital United States and the Eu-
blow to our economy. We lost tors, gave me a standing ova- human values at its core,” he Russia will experience a politi- role. All addresses by Russian ropean Union. The speedy
two-thirds of our foreign cur- tion. I turned to my translator continued. cal system with many parties in leaders at this year’s inter- conclusion of the Russia-WTO
rency and weren’t able to pro- and said: ‘Change will come to When asked if the country need- constant competition. “Democ- national forums send a clear talks is possible. It seems that
vide the market with basic America.’ ed a “new Gorbachev”, he racy is a priority,” Gorbachev message to the world com- the delay, connected with the
goods. That’s when the lines “But Obama will have a diffi- laughed: “I'm not going any- concluded. munity that Russia is ready accelerated creation of the
began to form. cult job,” he added somberly. where! Medvedev should utilise “The president’s main message to participate in creating a Customs Union within the Eur-
“It’s now official that the Unit- “He’s already facing problems, public organisations – like our was that we need to move for- global governance system. asian Economic Community is
ed States had pressured the but they will only get worse. own Gorbachev Foundation ward through dialogue, and for This means that Russia has no over, and all related legal and
king of Saudi Arabia into boost- Obama is democratic, calm, – we’re always happy to provide this we must have freedom so choice but to join the WTO. technical problems can be
ing oil production. It hurt.” confi dent and has a strong char- ideas.” people can feel confident in Russia needs to thoroughly settled within reasonable time
The long breadlines contribut- acter. I hope he succeeds.” Apart from his think tank, Gor- themselves. Let them be wrong: modernise its economy, a limits. Thus the conclusion of
ed to his unpopularity at home. Gorbachev is dismissive of the bachev recently co-founded the everyone makes mistakes. But need that became particularly the WTO entry process largely
While some in the West remem- idea of top-down changes in Independent Democratic Party as long as this dialogue takes apparent with the onset of the depends on the political will
ber when censorship was lifted, Russia. “I really wish that our of Russia with his billionaire place, we’ll enter a new epoch crisis. Foreign trade revenues of Russia’s major trading
Russians associate him with the leaders wouldn’t be afraid of ally Alexander Lebedev. Lebe- of development.”
-
have dropped sharply, which partners.
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16