In the first half of December negotiations of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin with leaders of India (on December 6), the USA (on December 7), China (on December 15), and then and Mongolia (on December 16) followed with a frequency which isn't leaving time for digestion new. And the main issues which were discussed by the Russian president with colleagues are generally known to close assistants. They are avaricious on comments, as well as it is necessary.
Summit of the Russian Federation-People's Republic of China
So happened also to a virtual conversation of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin and the Chinese President Xi Jinping. Discussed how the Chinese leader said, "the period of turbulence and big changes" in the world. Vladimir Putin called the bilateral relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction "a model of interstate cooperation". Xi Jinping expressed intention to cooperate with Russia and other countries of the CSTO for maintenance of safety and stability, the correspondent of The Moscow Post reports.
Xi Jinping estimated that Vladimir Putin "resolutely opposed attempts to hammer a wedge" into the relations of the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China, expressed mutual "resolute support" on the questions concerning the vital interests of each of the countries and their common interests. Yury Ushakov, the Assistant to the President, noted that all pressing and important problems were discussed "literally" – from security guarantees in Europe to new alliances in the Pacific Rim.
Supply of the Russian grain to China, the project of the Force of Siberia — 2 gas pipeline, creation of independent financial infrastructure for the Russian-Chinese trade operations, interface of integration initiatives of the Eurasian Economic Union and the "One Belt — One Way" program was discussed. Leaders highly appreciated development of infrastructure on border of two countries which Moscow and Beijing, according to Putin, are adjusted to turn "into a belt of everlasting peace and neighborliness".
Putin reminded that by the beginning of December the goods turnover between Russia and China increased by 31% – to 123 billion dollars and the Russian side hopes to overcome a boundary of 200 billion dollars for the account of joint projects in power, including atomic, in the sphere of high technologies and the industry. Vladimir Putin also reminded that the People's Republic of China becomes the center of production of the vaccines "Satellite V" and "Light Satellite", contracts for release over 150 million doses are signed with six Chinese producers.
The planned volumes of trade will make the People's Republic of China the same partner, important for Russia, what the European Union is today. It is expected that in 2021 the export of Gazprom to EU countries will become the lowest for the last six years and will make about 145 billion cubic meters. In the current year Gazprom exports about 185 billion cubic meters of gas that corresponds to the forecast and above results of 2020 on 6 billion cubic meters.
Growth will be provided with deliveries to the People's Republic of China on the Force of Siberia gas pipeline from 4.1 billion cubic meters in 2020 up to 10.2 billion cubic meters in current and also almost doubling of volumes of purchases of Turkey up to 26 billion cubic meters. Consumers in Europe use stocks of storages. Certification of the Nord Stream-2 project can be postponed until the second half of 2022. It will be in the long term possible to speak about a tendency to reorientation of economic, first of all "gas", communications of the Russian Federation from the EU aside.
Olympic diplomacy
Definitely there is an increase in mutual interest in coordination of foreign policy of Russia and China. Yury Ushakov confirmed that during negotiations the leaders discussed new alliances and blocks, stated concern about actions of the USA for "reconfiguration of a situation" in the region due to activity of the Indo-Pacific four and the AUKUS block. This American-English-Australian plan undermines the mode of nuclear non-proliferation, excites the level of regional tension.
Vladimir Putin added that between Russia and China "the new model of cooperation", based including on such bases as non-interference to internal affairs and respect of interests of each other is created. Leaders communicated about 90 minutes, agreed about a meeting in Beijing before opening of the winter Olympic Games.
In the relations between China and Russia there is a transition from dense cooperation to close coordination and active association of resources, the famous Indian diplomat M.K. Bkhadrakumar specifies. He called policy of the People's Republic of China "click on a nose" to the owner of the White House against the background of the fact that Vladimir Putin received the personal invitation from Xi Jinping to Olimpmada opening ceremony.
As, the Indian diplomat with reference to the newspaper Global Times, Beijing claims and didn't plan to invite the American and other western politicians, "the Beijing Olympic Games arranging hype around "boycott"". This "Biden" received click on a nose in two weeks after the negotiations which took place on November 15.
Biden and the problem of "bipartisanship"
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, answering a question from The Moscow Post journalist on December 15 about "the predictability of the United States in the conditions of Washington bipartisanship," confirmed that America "in its current form, starting from the withdrawal from the ABM treaty and further from the deal with Iran, has shown itself to be unfinished."
How can you count on guarantees to expand NATO? - asked the journalist of The Moscow Post, drawing the attention of Maria Zakharova to the recent remote summit of Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden. Then the main place in the conversation was occupied by issues related to the intra-Ukrainian crisis and the lack of progress in the implementation of the 2015 Minsk agreements.
Vladimir Putin, in particular, illustrated to Biden the destructive line of the Ukrainian authorities aimed at the complete dismantling of the Minsk agreements and agreements that were reached in the "Norman format."
Maria Zakharova noted that the question of The Moscow Post was asked on time, since the NATO Secretary General had already managed to declare that Russia's proposals were "not worthy of trust." Proposals were for a moratorium on the deployment of intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles in Europe.
"Didn't NATO representatives promise Russia not to expand the alliance to the east? Did they assure that the plans to deploy American missile defense systems in Poland and Romania were aimed exclusively at stopping threats from Iran? "The Foreign Ministry spokeswoman answered a question. Russia, as Zakharova recalled, suggested that NATO act on the principle of reciprocity. Our country requested the possibility of inspecting American missile defense facilities in Poland and Romania. In response, she was ready to provide for verification facilities in the European part of the Russian Federation. The Alliance was not ready for this proposal.
The next day, Zakharova recalled that US Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried received proposals from Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov to discuss security guarantees. These proposals could form the basis for dialogue. "This is not rhetoric or an attempt to prove someone's right or wrong," Zakharova noted and noted that Russia is ready for substantive work. The diplomatic mission noted that Ryabkov and Donfried discussed this in the light of Western attempts to change the military-political situation. Change using the territory of Ukraine.
Another Summit
On December 16, Vladimir Putin held talks with the President of Mongolia. Uhnaagiin Khurelsukh is on a visit to Russia, the first foreign visit after his election. He previously served as prime minister, met with the Russian president in December 2019 in Sochi.
During a conversation with Vladimir Putin, Uhnaagiin Khurelsukh said that he "set himself the goal" to implement the Transit Mongolia national project. He believes that this project can be carried out in coordination with the initiative of the "Great Eurasian Partnership." Mongolia, he added, unites "both Asia with Europe and Russia with China" and the Transit Mongolia program provides the shortest path that connects Europe with Asia and Russia with China.
The plans include the construction of two North-South railway lines through the eastern and western parts of Mongolia. One will connect China with Transbaikalia and Far Eastern ports. The Kyzyl-Kuragino railway, laid along Mongolian territory, will also reach China. There is a plan for the construction of the Irkutsk-Ulan-Ude and Ulan-Bator highways, then Inner Mongolia-Beijing and Tianjin.
There is also a project to modernize the central railway corridor, which runs from Irkutsk to China through Ulan Bator. The route M-12 Moscow-Kazan can be prolonged up to Novosibirsk and with an exit to Mongolia, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Marat Khusnullin said during the session on the Second Eurasian Congress. In 2019, an agreement was signed to promote interregional and cross-border cooperation with Mongolia. Interaction plans for 2021-2025 have been approved.
Mongolia's longstanding dream is to become a transit country for a gas pipeline from Russia to China. In 2019, as Prime Minister, Uhnaagiin Khurelsukh discussed this project with the Russian president. Today, the project at the feasibility study stage is moving forward, which Vladimir Putin confirmed during the final press conference with his Mongolian counterpart. The gas pipeline will become part of the Russia-Mongolia-China economic corridor.
Mongolia and its "third neighbor"
Mongolia has a low population density of about two people per square kilometer. Density falls due to internal migration to cities, about 600 thousand people moved over ten years. Mining produces about 20% of GDP and up to 90% of exports, about 30% of budget revenues. Russia's share in Mongolia's foreign trade turnover is about 10%, previously it was about 80-90%. China accounts for 84% of Mongolian exports. External debt is twice the country's GDP. The budget deficit for 2020 according to the plan was about 5% of GDP, but grew to 10%. Before the pandemic, the economic growth rate was 7.3%. Russia has written off more than $13 billion in Mongolia's debts.
According to the President of Mongolia, "in trade relations with Russia and other members of the EAEU there are a number of difficulties associated with tariff and non-tariff restrictions. Mongolian goods stumble upon high duties. As a result, many product names simply cannot enter the Russian market and the markets of the EAEU countries. Therefore, it is important for us to interact with the EAEU to solve these problems. "
Before the visit of the Mongolian president to Russia at the level of secretaries of the national security councils of Russia and Mongolia, cooperation in the field of security was discussed, through the ministries of defense - cooperation through military departments. Russia plans to supply aviation equipment to Mongolia, as well as help in the modernization of the airfield infrastructure.
Mongolia is a NATO partner country. The partnership "is based on the common values of the world and is not directed against any state," said Mongolian Foreign Minister Batmunkhiin Battsetseg in an interview with Izvestia. She also invited Russia to take part in the Ulan-Bator Dialogue, which is designed to emphasize the role of Mongolia in international affairs, its independence.
The United States once called Mongolia an "oasis of democracy" in Asia. This year they were invited to the "Summit of Democracies." Mongolia, according to its president, officially pursues a policy aimed at peaceful and multi-vector approaches. The main direction of Mongolian foreign policy is interaction with two neighbors. There is a conditional "third neighbor." The United States became the fifth state with which Mongolia signed an agreement on strategic cooperation. Mongolia maintains close political relations with Japan and South Korea.
As a result of the meetings, it becomes clear that Vladimir Putin, in his diplomatic successes, is several steps ahead of his American counterpart.