Russian Foreign Minister calls Russian integration into the international community a reality

The integration of Russia into the international community has ceased to be a mere happy wish or a remote aim. It's a reality which is starting to take definite shape. That's the essence of Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov's address to the students and teaching staff of the Moscow State University of Foreign Relations (MGIMO) on Monday, RIA Novosti correspondent reported.

"It can be definitely stated now that the Russian foreign policy carried out in recent years and secured by the foreign policy conception ratified by President Putin has lived up to its expectations," said Ivanov.

"The pragmatic protection of the national interests gave us an opportunity to work our way gradually to tackling the key issues, such as providing national security, further carrying out of domestic reforms and paving the way for social and economic revival of Russia," said Russian Foreign Minister.

He supposes that we're beginning to see the fruits. Russia has stepped into a new stage of international development backed by strengthened domestic stability and economic growth.

"Russia is beginning to be seen elsewhere in the world as a solid democratic country, a responsible and predictable partner be it in everyday cooperation or at the time of crisis," stressed Ivanov.

He believes that the next step is to secure the position of Russia because "we're standing at the very beginning of the process of reorganizing the structures of international cooperation." "We're facing a most difficult task that is to adapt them to a current situation created by a period of globalization and transnational calls," pointed out Ivanov in his speech.

In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York last year "we have forgotten all about bipolar confrontation and the Cold War as well as the methods used for providing national security and carrying out foreign policy," he noted later on. The Foreign Minister highlighted the fact that the new idea of global security focuses on the problems of standing up against international terrorism and other threats of the new generation.