Regarding the foreign relations of Russia, Russia has taken important steps to become a full partner in the world's principal political groupings.

UN membership, NATO/EU partnership

On December 27, 1991, the Russian Federation assumed the seat formerly held by the Soviet Union in the UN Security Council. Russia also is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Union of Russia and Belarus, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC). It signed the NATO Partnership for Peace initiative on June 22, 1994. On May 27, 1997, NATO and Russia signed the NATO-Russia Founding Act, which provides the basis for an enduring and robust partnership between the Alliance and Russia--one that can make an important contribution to European security architecture in the 21st century. This agreement was superseded by the NATO-Russia Council that was agreed at the Reykjavik Ministerial and unveiled at the Rome NATO Summit in May 2002. On June 24, 1994, Russia and the European Union (EU) signed a partnership and cooperation agreement. A session of the Security Council in progress The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ... Flag of the CIS The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) (in Russian: Содружество Независимых Государств (СНГ) - Sodruzhestvo Nezavisimykh Gosudarstv) is a confederation, or alliance, consisting of 11 former Soviet Republics: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. ... The Union of Russia and Belarus (Russian: Союз России и Беларуси, also called the Belarusian-Russian Union State) is a supranational entity comprising Russia and Belarus that was initiated by the latters president, Alexander Lukashenko. ... The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. ... The NATO flag NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on April 4... Partnership for Peace is a NATO project aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in both Europe as well as the Asian part of the former Soviet Union. ... A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, covering around 10,790,000 km² (4,170,000 sq mi) or 2. ...

Countries formerly part of the Soviet Union

The countries that were once part of the USSR have been termed the 'Near Abroad' by Russians. There remain large Russian minority populations in many of these nations, an issue that has been dealt with in various ways by each individual country. They have posed a particular problem in countries where they live close to the Russian border, such as in Ukraine and Kazakhstan, with some of these Russians calling for these areas to be absorbed into Russia.

Close cultural, ethnic and historical links exist between Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Traditionally they have been treated as one ethnic group, with Russians been called 'Great Russians', Belarusians 'White Russians' and Ukrainians 'Little Russians'. This manifested itself in lower levels of nationalism in these areas, particularly Belarus, during the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The banner of White Ruthenia White Russia is a name that was historically applied to different regions in Eastern Europe, most often to the region that roughly corresponds to the present-day Belarus. ... Little Russia or Malorossiya (Russian: ) was the name for the territory of Ukraine applied in the time of the Russian Empire and earlier. ...

International conflicts / Peace efforts

Russia has played an important role in helping mediate international conflicts and has been particularly actively engaged in trying to promote a peace following the Kosovo conflict. Russia is a cosponsor of the Middle East peace process and supports UN and multilateral initiatives in the Persian Gulf, Cambodia, Angola, the former Yugoslavia, and Haiti. Russia is a founding member of the Contact Group and (since the Denver Summit in June 1997) a member of the G-8. In November 1998, Russia joined the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC). Russia has contributed troops to the NATO-led stabilization force in Bosnia and has affirmed its respect for international law and OSCE principles. Russia has accepted UN and/or OSCE involvement in instances of regional conflict in neighboring countries, including the dispatch of observers to Georgia, Moldova, Tajikistan, and Nagorno-Karabakh. It has attempted to strengthen defense and security ties within the CIS and maintains military bases in Armenia, Tajikistan, Georgia, Moldova and Kyrgyzstan. The term Kosovo War or Kosovo Conflict is often used to describe two sequential and at times parallel armed conflicts (a civil war followed by an international war) in the southern Serbian province called Kosovo (officially Kosovo and Metohia), part of the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. ... Map of the Persian Gulf. ... Official language none (1963–1974: Macedonian, Serbo-Croatian, Croato-Serbian, Slovenian) Capital Belgrade Largest city Belgrade Area (1991)  - Total  - % water Ranked xxst 255,804 km² Negligible Population  - Total (2004)  - Density Ranked xxth 20,522,972 80/km² Currency Yugoslav dinar Time zone  - in summer CET (UTC+1) CEST (UTC+2... G-8 work session; July 20-22, 2002. ... APEC can also stand for Atlantic Provinces Economic Council Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a group of Pacific Rim countries who meet with the purpose of improving economic and political ties. ... Bosnia and Herzegovina (officially Bosna i Hercegovina, shortened to BiH, also in English variously written Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bosnia-Hercegovina) is a mountainous country in the western Balkans. ... Nagorno Karabakh Republic (Armenian: Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի Հանրապետություն), historically known as Artsakh (Armenian: Արցախ), is a region of former Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, in southern Caucasia, located about 270 km (about 170 mi) west of the Azerbaijani capital of Baku. ...

Territorial Disputes

Disputes over the boundary with the People's Republic of China were resolved after 40 years of negotiations. On June 2, 2005 Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov exchanged ratification documents signifying a 50-50 share of the disputed land between the two countries. The talks in Vladivostok resolved the last region of contention, demarcating the 4300 kilometre border between Russia and China. Further disputes centre around the islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan and the Habomai group occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia, claimed by Japan; Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined among all littoral states. Issues between Russia and the states bordering it - Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan - were settled in 2003. Russia has no common land or Caspian-sea border with Turkmenistan and Iran, which do not agree with the Caspian Sea settlements; Estonian and Russian negotiators reached a technical border agreement in December 1996 which has not been ratified; draft treaty delimiting the boundary with Latvia has not been signed; has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other nation; 1997 border agreement with Lithuania not yet ratified. Iturup (Ainu イト゚ルㇷ゚; Japanese 択捉島, Etorofu; Russian Итуруп) is the biggest island of the Kuriles, located in the Sakhalin Oblast of Russia. ... Kunashir Island (国後島:Kunashiri in Japanese, Кунашир (Kunashir) in Russian, Black Island in Ainu language), a southwestern island of the Kuril Islands, located in the Sakhalin Oblast of the Russian Federation. ... Shikotan (色丹島) (Shikotan in Japanese, Шикотан in Russian), one of the bigger islands of the Kuril Islands, located in the Sakhalin Oblast of Russia. ... Caspian Sea viewed from orbit The Caspian Sea or Mazandaran Sea is a landlocked endorheic sea between Asia and Europe (European Russia). ...

Citations:

• GlobalSecurity.org In The News. China, Russia Agree on Border After 40 Years of Talks. URL accessed on 2005-8-14.

• China, Russia solve all disputes along shared border (2005/06/03). URL accessed on August14, 2005.

2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Illicit drugs / Human rights

Limited cultivation of illicit cannabis and opium poppy and producer of amphetamines, mostly for domestic consumption; government has active eradication program; increasingly used as transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian opiates and cannabis and Latin American cocaine to Western Europe, possibly to the United States, and growing domestic market; major source of heroin precursor chemicals. Russia has faced criticism for perceived violations of human rights. For more on Russia's human rights record, see human rights in Russia. Species Cannabis indica Cannabis ruderalis Cannabis sativa Cannabis is a genus of flowering plant that includes one or more species. ... Opium is a narcotic analgesic drug which is obtained from the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L. or the synonym paeoniflorum). ... Amphetamine is a synthetic drug originally developed (and still used) as an appetite suppressant. ... Asia is the largest and most populous of the Earths continents. ... The term opiate refers to the alkaloids found in opium, an extract from the seed pods of the opium poppy (). It has also traditionally referred to natural and semi-synthetic derivatives of morphine. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ... This article is about the drug Cocaine. ... A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, covering around 10,790,000 km² (4,170,000 sq mi) or 2. ... Heroin or diacetylmorphine (INN) is a semi-synthetic opioid. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... Russias human rights record remains uneven and worsened in some areas following the end of the Soviet Union. ...

Participation in International organizations

APEC, BIS, BSEC, CBSS, CE, CERN (observer), CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ESCAP, G8, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant), Zangger Committee Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a group of Pacific Rim countries who meet with the purpose of improving economic and political ties. ... BIS Headquarters in Basel The Bank for International Settlements (BIS), based in Basel, Switzerland, is an international organization of central banks established in 1930 under the Hague agreements. ... The Baltic Sea The Council of the Baltic Sea States (abbrevated CBSS) is an intergovernmental organization formed to handle (mainly environmental) issues concerning the Baltic Sea region. ... The Palace of Europe in Strasbourg The Council of Europe is an international organisation of 46 member states in the European region. ... CERN logo CERN is the European Council for Nuclear Research (Organisation Européenne pour la Recherche Nucléaire), the worlds largest particle physics laboratory, situated on the border between France and Switzerland, just west of Geneva. ... Flag of the CIS The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) (in Russian: Содружество Независимых Государств (СНГ) - Sodruzhestvo Nezavisimykh Gosudarstv) is a confederation, or alliance, consisting of 11 former Soviet Republics: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. ... The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) is a NATO organization, a multilateral forum created to improve relations between NATO and non-NATO countries in Europe. ... The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) was founded in 1991 to promote private and entrepreneurial initiatives in the countries of central and eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). ... The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE or ECE) was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. ... The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), located in Bangkok, Thailand, is the regional arm of the United Nations Secretariat for the Asian and Pacific region. ... G8 countries. ... The IAEA flag The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), established as an autonomous organization on July 29, 1957, seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for military purposes. ... Logo of the World Bank The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, in Romance languages: BIRD), better known as the World Bank, is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by WWII. Now, its mission has expanded to fight poverty by means... The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an agency of the United Nations, develops the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Red_Crystal_flag. ... The International Development Association (IDA) was created on September 24, 1960, is a UN specialized agency. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS) is an international humanitarian organisation, often better known as the Red Cross or the Red Crescent. ... The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an intergovernmental international organization established in 1921. ... Ilo may refer to: Ilo, a port in southern Peru Ilo, an artist on the Icelandic Bad Taste record label Ilo, the Estonian goddess of feasts This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The flag of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international organization entrusted with overseeing the global financial system by monitoring foreign exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering technical and financial assistance when asked. ... Headquarters of the International Maritime Organisation in Lambeth, adjacent to the east end of Lambeth Bridge Headquarters building taken from the west side of the Thames Headquartered in London, U.K., the International Maritime Organization (IMO) promotes cooperation among governments and the shipping industry to improve maritime safety and to... INMARSAT, is an international telecommunications company founded in 1979, originally as an intergovernmental organisation. ... Intelsat is the worlds largest commercial satellite communications services provider. ... Interpol logo Interpol, more correctly the International Criminal Police Organization, was created in 1923 to assist international criminal police co-operation. ... Alternative meanings at IOC (disambiguation) The International Olympic Committee is an organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894 to reinstate the Ancient Olympic Games held in Greece, and organize this sports event every four years. ... The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organisation. ... Logo of the International Organization for Standardization The International Organization for Standardization (ISO or iso) is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from national standards bodies. ... The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is an international organization established to standardize and regulate international radio and telecommunications. ... The Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración (the Latin American Integration Association; known as ALADI or, occasionally, by the English acronym LAIA) is a Latin American trade integration association, based in Montevideo. ... MINURSO is a UN peacekeeping mission, established in 1991 to monitor the ceasefire and to organize and conduct a referendum which would enable the people of Western Sahara to choose between integration with Morocco and independence. ... MONUC is a French acronym for Mission de l Organisation des Nations unies en République démocratique du Congo, in English: Mission of the United Nations (UN) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). ... The Non-Aligned Movement, or NAM, is an international organization of over 100 states which consider themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. ... The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a multinational body concerned with reducing nuclear proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of materials that may be applicable to nuclear weapon development and by improving safeguards and protection on existing materials. ... The Organization of American States (OAS; OEA in the other three official languages) is an international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., USA. Its members are the 35 independent nations of the Americas. ... The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an agency of the United Nations. ... The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. ... The phrase Hague Tribunal can also be used to refer to ICTY. The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), also known as the Hague Tribunal is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands. ... PFP may stand for: Partnership for Peace (PfP) People First Party Peace and Freedom Party PFP (enzyme) This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ... A session of the Security Council in progress The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ... The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) is a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Sierra Leone. ... The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body, UNCTAD is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment and development issues. ... UNESCO logo The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO, is a specialized agency of the United Nations system established in 1945. ... Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (established December 14, 1950) protects and supports refugees at the request of a government or the United Nations and assists in their return or resettlement. ... United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is an agency of the United Nations with the mission of helping countries pursue sustainable industrial development, it is a specialist in industrial affairs. ... UNIKOM, the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission, was established on April 9, 1991 following the Gulf War by Security Council resolution 689 (1991) and fully deployed by early May. ... The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) was established in 1965 as an autonomous body within the United Nations with the purpose of enhancing the effectiveness of the Organization through appropriate training and research. ... The United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) is an international organization formed under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1035, as extended by Security Council Resolution 1357. ... The United Nations Mission in Kosovo or UNMIK is an interim civilian administration of the Serbian province (as part of Serbia and Montenegro) called Kosovo (officially Kosovo and Metohia), under the authority of the United Nations. ... UN Mission of Observers in Prevlaka (UNMOP) (January 15, 1996 - December 15, 2002) was a United Nations peacekeeping mission that monitored the demilitarization of the disputed Prevlaka peninsula by carrying out daily foot and vehicle patrols on both sides of the border between Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. ... The United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) was established on 24 August 1993 by Security Council Resolution 858 to verify compliance with the 27 July 1993, ceasefire agreement between the Republic of Georgia and forces in Abkhazia with special attention given to the situation in the city of Sukhumi... The UN Transitional Administration in East Timor provided an interim civil administration and a peacekeeping mission in the territory of East Timor. ... UNTSO is an acronym for United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, an organization founded in 1948 for peacekeeping in the Middle East. ... The Universal Postal Union (UPU) is a international organization that coordinates postal policies between member nations, and hence the world-wide postal system. ... World Customs Organization (WCO) is an intergovernmental organization that helps member states communicate and cooperate on customs issues. ... The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) was established in the wake of the Second World War to bring together trade unions across the world in a single international organization, much like the United Nations. ... Who can refer to: WHO, World Health Organization The Who, a British rock band The Guess Who, a Canadian rock band who (pronoun), an English language interrogative pronoun. ... The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations, and has as its core objectives the promotion of creative intellectual activity and the facilitation of the transfer of technology related to intellectual property to the developing countries in order to accelerate economic, social... The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 187 Member States and Territories. ... The World Tourism Organization (WTO) is a UN agency dealing with questions relating to tourism. ... For other uses of the initials WTO, see WTO (disambiguation). ... The Zangger Committee, also known as the Nuclear Exporters Committee, sprang from Article III.2 of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) which entered into force on March 5, 1970. ...

See also

• Japanese-Russian relations
• Japanese-Soviet relations