MOSCOW, March 31. /TASS/. The Russian president determines the main directions of the country’s foreign policy and represents it in international relations, according to Russia’s updated foreign policy concept published on Friday.

"The President of the Russian Federation, acting in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation and federal laws, defines the main lines of the foreign policy, directs the county's foreign policy and, as the head of State, represents the Russian Federation in international relations," the document said.

The document notes that "extra-budgetary resources raised on a voluntary basis through public-private partnership can be used to finance foreign policy activities."

"When preparing and implementing foreign policy decisions, the federal executive bodies work with the chambers of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Russian political parties, the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, non-profit organizations, expert and academic community, cultural and humanitarian associations, the Russian Orthodox Church and other traditional Russian religious associations, business circles and mass media, contributing to their participation in international cooperation," the concept said.

It emphasized that the "broad involvement of constructive social forces in the foreign policy process promotes national consensus on foreign policy, assists in its implementation, and plays an important role in terms of more effective resolution of a wide range of issues on the international agenda."

Goals of Security Council, government, regions

The part of the concept dedicated to the shaping and implementation of the country’s foreign policy describes the directions of work of various structures. Thus, the Russian Security Council "defines main directions of the foreign and military policy, forecasts, identifies, analyses and assesses threats to Russia's national security, develops measures to neutralize them, prepares proposals for the President of the Russian Federation regarding the adoption of special economic measures with a view to ensuring national security, examines issues of international cooperation related to maintaining security, coordinates efforts by federal executive bodies and executive bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation to implement decisions adopted by the President of the Russian Federation with a view to ensuring national interests and national security, protecting the sovereignty of the Russian Federation, its independence and state integrity, preventing external threats to national security."

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation develops a general strategy of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation and presents relevant proposals to the President of the Russian Federation, implements the foreign policy course, coordinates the activities of federal executive bodies in the area of international relations and international cooperation, and coordinates international relations of the subjects of the Russian Federation," the concept notes. According to it, "the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation assists the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation in pursuing a uniform foreign policy line in terms of coordinating and implementing programs on international humanitarian cooperation, as well as in the implementation of state policy in the field of international development assistance at the bilateral level."

The chambers of the Russian parliament "shape the legislative framework for the foreign policy and implementation of international obligations of the Russian Federation, as well as contribute to the fulfilment of the tasks of parliamentary diplomacy." According to the document, the government "takes measures to implement foreign policy and international cooperation."

The concept notes that "the State Council of the Russian Federation participates in the development of strategic tasks and goals of the foreign policy, assists the President of the Russian Federation in determining main directions of the foreign policy."

All other federal executive bodies "carry out international activities in accordance with their powers, the principle of foreign policy integrity and in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation." Russian regions "engage in international and foreign economic contacts in accordance with their powers and in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, taking into account the important role of inter-regional and trans-border cooperation in the development of relations between the Russian Federation and foreign states," the document states.