[kitchencabinetforum] PLEASE PET MY LOVABLE BEAR!

I think that the United Nations Millennium Declaration which reads, "We will spare no effort to promote democracy and strengthen the rule of law, as well as respect for all internationally recognized human rights" is of practical importance for all of us.

Just like human rights, standards of democracy (which in fact include human rights) should be internationally recognised. Only this can make them truly effective. Along with this, it is important that common standards not be double standards nor hollow slogans, as everyone who participates in their development must apply them too.

In these circumstances all countries could subscribe to such standards without fearing that they would be instrumentalized to impose sovereignty limitations or justify interference in another country's internal affairs. Or be used for demagogic purposes, that is to exert pressure to further the economic and geopolitical interests of some countries, and sometimes the banal prejudices and ambitions of certain leaders. This also happens.

Similar criticisms have been made with regards to Russia. Along with fair criticisms that we regularly hear and which we accept positively, we sometimes also hear unfair and simply very biased assessments of our political system.

I want to tell you something: I know the shortcomings of our system, perhaps better than anyone else. If only because, as President, I have more information and my past work experience and education give me additional opportunity. But I categorically disagree with those who say that Russia isn't a democracy and that authoritarian tendencies reign.

There is no doubt that Russia is a democracy. There is democracy in Russia. Yes, it is young, immature, incomplete and inexperienced, but it's a democracy nevertheless. We are still at the beginning and for this reason we have a lot of work to do. But we are free.

Basil Venitis, twitter.com/Venitis, muses my bear seems now to be a very different animal. The snarling statist bear with a statist head has been replaced by a lovable venitist bear, and while it may not be ready now to roll over and have its belly tickled, Russia will not take a bite out of its rivals. Uncle Sam(US) and Uncle Ken(UK) now like to pet this bear!

Venitis notes that in order to modernize Russia's economy and industry, Russia needs cooperation partners from abroad, and those modernization partners are to be found mostly in USA and Fourth Reich(EU). That's the logic that lies beneath Russia's new softer foreign policy towards the West. It shows that external policy is seen as an instrument for internal development and modernization.