Conference of Russian ambassador to discuss global challenges

MOSCOW, July 13 (Itar-Tass) -- Issues of response to global challenges
and threats, and development of multi-polar diplomacy will be in the focus
of attention of the conference with Russian ambassadors and permanent
representatives to international organizations on Tuesday, the second day
of its work.
On Monday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev outlined the basic tasks
of the country's foreign policy for the nearest future. The conference was
addressed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, other ministers and
state officials, Russian ambassadors representing various areas of the
Foreign Ministry's activity. Topical and regional workshops discussed
top-priority tasks and ways to boost the efficiency of cooperation with
foreign partners in bilateral and multi-lateral formats in the interests
of Russia's stable development.
Participants in the conference discussed further steps to harmonize
Russia's relations with partners in various regions - within the CIS, in
the Asia Pacific region, in Latin American, Middle East, and African
countries.
"We proceed from the fact that the current situation in the world
arena opens board prospects for deeper partner relations with various
states and integration associations," said Andrei Nesterenko, the
spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry. As an example he cited Russia'
s agreement with the European Union on the launch of the Partnership for
Modernization program "to give a new impetus to practical cooperation."
"President Dmitry Medvedev's recent visit to the United States has proved
the Russian-U.S. relations also have new possibilities," he said.
"Regrettably, intellectual inertness stemming from the Cold War period is
still present in the international relations. Of acute character is the
task of creating in the European-Atlantic region a common security system,
which may be accomplished through the Russian president's initiative to
sign a European Security Treaty."
According to Nesterenko, more active cooperation within such formats
as G20, G8, and BRIC (stands for Brazil, Russia, India, and China)
testifies to bigger importance of these structures against the background
of accelerated transformation of the global architecture.
On Tuesday, the conference will focus on foreign economic issues,
including "cooperation of the foreign ministry with Russian businesses
geared towards implementation of the modernization agenda; it is expected
that a number of Russia's leading businessmen will attend plenary meetings
and workshops," he said.
One of the major subjects under discussion is the personnel policy
following the adoption of the new law on diplomatic service. The law is
aimed to raise the status of diplomats and provides for better pay for
work in the so-called "hot spots." At the same time, the law puts stricter
limits to the work in foreign countries. Thus, if a diplomat refuses
foreign secondments more than two times, the ministry will be authorized
to cancel the contract with such diplomat. The measure is taken to fill
the vacancies at Russian diplomatic missions abroad.