#11 - JRL 7272
US Department of State
28 July 2003
Vershbow on U.S.-Russian Social, Humanitarian
Cooperation
July 25: U.S. Ambassador to Russia at Moscow School of Political Studies
U.S. Government-sponsored programs in Russia will "gradually phase down over the coming years" because Russia "is becoming more and more capable of pursuing its further goals without large contributions from outside," says U.S. Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow.
At the Moscow School of Political Studies in Golitsyno July 25, Vershbow discussed opportunities for U.S.-Russian cooperation in the social and humanitarian fields.
"U.S. interest in Russia does go beyond the issues of terrorism and trade," Vershbow said, adding that "it is also in America's own best interests for Russia to take its place in the world arena as a nation with a strong economy, a stable, democratic political system and a healthy society at home."
The ambassador said U.S.-Russian cooperation during the first ten years after the collapse of the Soviet Union was focused on the country's transition to a functioning market economy and liberal democracy.
"Resources were targeted to create the proper climate where small businesses could thrive, to help Russians set up social-service NGOs [non-governmental organizations], and to support the development of think tanks, political parties, labor unions, and an independent media - all of which we consider critical to Russia's emerging democratic infrastructure," he said.
As examples of such programs he cited the 55,000 Russian participants in exchange programs funded by the U.S. government; sister city partnerships involving Votkinsk, Dubna, Tula, St. Petersburg and other cities; and partnerships between U.S. and Russian NGOs, foundations, think tanks, and business organizations.
Vershbow discussed opportunities for future social and humanitarian cooperation within the context of such major challenges now facing Russia as the spread of AIDS, a "tremendous increase" in the number of abandoned and orphaned children, and Russia's status as a source country for trafficked people.
Among other problems are "the Herculean task of fixing the housing sector and communal services, the reform of the military and the pension system, and cleaning up the environment."
Vershbow saw economic growth as one of the keys to addressing these problems, as well as the creation of a business environment that will support accelerated growth: "As the economy grows, as the federal and local governments increase their tax revenues, the Duma and the regional legislatures, as well as the executives, should be able to invest funds into the improvement of housing stock, communal services, healthcare and pensions."
He added that the U.S. federal and state governments, as well as American NGOs, community organizations and businesses "stand ready to assist in any way we can, even as we deal with many other problems, back home and abroad."
U.S. and Russian companies and the "spirit of corporate philanthropy" represent another resource, Vershbow said, urging the Russian government to "provide real incentives to corporate giving."
One new idea for U.S.-Russian partnership is a volunteer corps that would involve an exchange of young volunteers between the two countries, he said: "Such informal, people-to-people contacts are the best way of ensuring mutual understanding between our two countries."
Following is the text as prepared for delivery:
(begin text)
THE CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY: OPPORTUNITIES FOR U.S.-RUSSIAN COOPERATION IN THE SOCIAL AND HUMANITARIAN FIELDS
Alexander Vershbow
U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation
Federal Seminar: Law, Politics, Economy and Mass
Media
Moscow School of Political Studies
Golitsyno, July 25, 2003
Lena Nemirovskaya, thank you for that kind introduction. As always, it is truly a privilege to speak at a seminar of the Moscow School of Political Studies. Back in early June, when George Soros was here, I mentioned the story about the founding of MSPS in Lena's kitchen in her Moscow apartment. I'm glad we have the chance to sit together today, though we unfortunately don't have a kitchen table big enough to fit all of us for a nice, informal discussion.
Today though I have the pleasure of addressing what you might think for me is a somewhat unusual subject, "Opportunities for U.S.-Russian Cooperation in the Social and Humanitarian Fields." Over the past two years, in many venues, including at MSPS, I have often been asked to speak about the topic of international security, and sometimes about the Russian-American economic relationship. To be honest, I've become pretty adept at talking about Al-Qaeda and North Korea and the level of U.S. investment in Russia, but my responsibilities as Ambassador are a bit wider than that. Those are all extremely important topics, of course, and I might touch upon some of them briefly today. But I'd really like to take this opportunity to explore a broader range of common interests, and common values, that bring Russia and the United States together, and to talk about those areas in the social and humanitarian field where we can work more closely together.
From the beginning, I should emphasize that U.S. interest in Russia does go beyond the issues of terrorism and trade, though that might come as a surprise to some of our critics in Russia. There are important connections between Americans and Russians even going back to the time of the Cold War. Our governments were at odds for much of the last century, but there always seemed to be a curiosity and respect for the people on the other side of the ideological wall that divided us, and an acknowledgement of our similar natures. Both countries are large and have had to deal with the challenge of uniting a population of differing ethnic and religious backgrounds. Both countries, in different ways, have tried to promote egalitarianism, even though we see that better protected through the concept of individual than group rights. Both countries have global interests and are key regional players.
When I first came to Russia as an exchange student in the late 1960s, it was easy to see that teenagers in both countries were very similar. Years later, I think those telebridges with Phil Donohue and Vladimir Pozner during the days of glasnost' really drove that message home to Russians and Americans who had not traveled abroad. Russia is obviously a much different place today than during the 1980s, but there is also indeed a "logic of common interests" that brings our nations together. In fact, we recognize that it is also in America's own best interests for Russia to take its place in the world arena as a nation with a strong economy, a stable, democratic political system and a healthy society at home.
I know there are certain elements within Russia (and perhaps in my own country, too) who might find that hard to believe, but let me put it this way. What possible interest would U.S. companies have in seeing the Russian economy impoverished, or closed to international business? How would the United States benefit if an unstable, non-democratic regime held sway over this huge country, so close to the Middle East and China and Southeast Asia and the newly democratic nations of Eastern Europe, and also possessing a huge stockpile of nuclear weapons? What good would it do for the United States if HIV/AIDS or tuberculosis (TB) raged rampant through Russia? In the modern age of air travel, we recently saw how quickly the SARS virus could break out in China and then appear in Toronto, in America's backyard.
And looking at the bottom line in a business sense, how would U.S. investors reap the desired profits if Russian workers suffer from some illness brought on by living in areas affected by environmental catastrophes? Doesn't it also make sense that Americans would want the young people of Russia to become well-educated and prosperous, thereby avoiding lives of crime or prostitution, which are both becoming international social problems on which we are expending more and more of our resources? Americans feel no Schadenfreude when we hear about terrorist attacks at Tushino or read about the drug problem among Russia's youth, a problem that we confront as well. Instead, the United States wants to work together with our Russian partners on an array of challenges, on the one hand for purely humanitarian reasons, on the other because it's actually in our national interest.
When one speaks of U.S.-Russian cooperation, one might first think of intergovernmental collaboration at the federal level. There was the Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission during the Clinton Administration; while its day has passed, there are still many active government-to-government working groups on energy, health, fisheries, and the environment - to name just a few. Just this week there was a meeting of the U.S.-Russia Counter-Terrorism Working Group in Williamsburg, Virginia, chaired by Deputy Secretary of State Armitage for the U.S. and Deputy Foreign Minister Trubnikov for Russia. Under the Nunn-Lugar program, our governments are jointly implementing a wide range of important programs related to disarmament and increasing the security of nuclear weapons facilities. The social and humanitarian fields, however, perhaps lend themselves more readily to American-Russian cooperation at every level of government - federal, state and municipal - and among varied types of institutions as well: NGOs, foundations, community organizations, businesses and even individuals. Many connections already exist, but these can be expanded, strengthened, and multiplied.
Let's take a quick look at the big picture so far. Throughout the first ten years of Russia's transition, much of our cooperation with Russia - often through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) - took the form of programs to help this country make the transition after seven decades of the failed Soviet experiment to a functioning market economy and liberal democracy. Resources were targeted to create the proper climate where small businesses could thrive, to help Russians set up social-service NGOs, and to support the development of think tanks, political parties, labor unions, and an independent media - all of which we consider critical to Russia's emerging democratic infrastructure. Our focus was directed toward grassroots organizations, with particular attention given to encouraging partnerships between Russian and American NGOs, foundations and think tanks. We also tried to help establish links between Russian and American businesses, and between government officials at all levels. (Of course, sometimes relationships already existed, and others formed on their own.)
The Russian-American Pacific Partnership, whose eighth annual meeting in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk I attended last week, is one outgrowth of these efforts, an example of an interregional organization joining officials and businesses and NGOs of the RFE and American West Coast. During the Bush Administration, we've also seen the Russian-American Media Entrepreneurship Dialogue grapple with the many issues that affect the independence and integrity of the news media. That group may need to be revived in the wake of recent moves to shut down independent TV channels.
Russian NGOs, foundations, think tanks, business service organizations, and business associations already work effectively with similar organizations and individuals in the West, including the U.S., and will continue to do so in the future. One such example is the sustained partnership between the Urban Institute in the United States and the Institute for Urban Economics in Russia. This partnership of like-minded policy experts has facilitated a wide array of reforms in the housing, land, communal services and social sectors in Russia since the early days of transition. Project Harmony, an American NGO based in Vermont, is working with police departments and schools in Karelia to set up effective drug prevention programs.
There are active sister city partnerships, such as the ones between Votkinsk, Udmurtia and West Jordan, Utah, that have resulted in exchanges in the areas of fire fighting and education. The La Croix, Wisconsin connection with Dubna has vastly improved the quality of healthcare in Dubna. Albany, New York and Tula have an active partnership, too, and St. Petersburg, Florida and St. Petersburg, Russia have obviously been very busy this year, with a series of overseas trips by ballet teachers and judges, a museum agreement and a large donation of books to the Children's Library in the city that is Russia's "Window on Europe."
The U.S. Government has additionally funded trips by over 55,000 Russian exchange program participants, some of whom were students and scholars, others of whom were elected officials and NGO heads, healthcare providers and journalists, young entrepreneurs and human rights leaders.
Decades from now, history books will tell our great-grandchildren whether or not these programs were effective - whether the U.S. and Russia together established the right partnerships and forms of cooperation that in some small way helped Russia achieve its full potential as a market economy and civil society, to the benefit of both our countries. But the important question for now is: Where do we go from here, particularly in the social and humanitarian sectors?
Ten years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia continues to face enormous challenges. The transition from the old system has been a bit harder here than in countries like Poland or Hungary, for various reasons. Economically, Russia is actually doing very well. Politically, although we won't ever see a return to a totalitarian form of government, there are still obstacles to overcome in consolidating the institutions and practices of a modern democracy. And demographic, environmental and health problems across Eurasia complicate matters further. Can we also increase our levels of cooperation in the fields of medicine, the development of civil society, and social assistance?
Let's first focus on one of the most important problems in the health field, one to which I devote quite a bit of time and effort myself. Whenever I meet with mayors and governors and polpreds, I almost always ask them about their perceptions of the HIV/AIDS problem and how their administrations are working with medical authorities and NGOs to deal with this disease. This epidemic has the ability to devastate Russia's economy, in addition to taking an awful human toll on the population. Some officials understand the grave nature of this threat, and others sadly do not. But this is a key area that requires continued cooperation. To steal a phrase from the 1992 American presidential campaign, we need to focus on this like a laser beam.
We already have many brave colleagues in the health field - both Russian and American - engaged in the struggle against HIV/AIDS on a daily basis, as are our other friends from the diplomatic community, international organizations and NGOs. Russian and U.S. government programs for HIV/AIDS focus primarily on research, education and outreach to populations at risk. And we have already seen some outstanding cooperation between US and Russian government agencies and NGOs.
I was especially impressed during my trip down to Saratov for World AIDS Day 2002 to see that Governor Ayatskov was confronting this problem head on, having local healthcare workers work directly with NGOs to get the word out to young people and groups at risk in order to slow the spread of this disease. I additionally met with young "outreachers" from Population Services International (PSI) who volunteered their time talking to students and other groups that are at special risk about condoms and raising their awareness of the danger posed by HIV/AIDS.
I'm also glad to see that popular music groups like Mumiy Troll are at the forefront of PSI's "Voz'mi s soboy" ("Take it with you") campaign, that public service announcements are finally making their way onto Russian TV, and that respected think-tanks like the EastWest Institute have decided to focus on the HIV/AIDS problem here in Russia as well. I also know that oil firms operating in Sakhalin have been good corporate citizens, funding awareness and prevention campaigns of their own. It is fantastic to see the beginning of this multi-pronged effort, but it is just the beginning of the battle.
As many of you know, HIV/AIDS is a threat to the entire population of Russia, not just to drug users, or gays. Political leaders in this country must acknowledge this fact, must be able to speak about this growing threat honestly and openly, and make the struggle against HIV/AIDS one of their highest priorities in the coming years. The price of hiding one's head in the sand is too great. We do not want to see Russia, which has the highest rate in the spread of HIV/AIDS in the world, suffer the same human, social and economic catastrophe as many nations of sub-Saharan Africa. The United States waited too long to deal with HIV/AIDS. Russia can learn from our mistakes.
Though not as great a threat as HIV/AIDS, the spread of tuberculosis (TB) likewise remains one of the most critical public health and social problems in Russia, as well as in many other countries around the world. Tuberculosis is not selective; it is equally dangerous for men and women, the young and elderly. It is a disease that does not observe borders and remains a threat for all nations. The dedication and efforts of Russian and American TB specialists are beginning to bear fruit. Russian and American healthcare workers and NGOs, with the strong commitment of the Russian and American governments, are now seeing tangible improvements in Russia's fight against TB in places like Orel, Ivanovo and Vladimir, with the Mott Foundation, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, World Health Organization (WHO), Center for Disease Control, and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. During last year, the treatment success rate exceeded WHO requirements.
There has been a tremendous increase in the number of abandoned and orphaned children in Russia - up to 683,000 - over the last ten years, which poses another significant threat to social stability. Abandoned children suffer from delayed development, receive less education, and demonstrate significant psychological problems. The Russian and U.S. Governments and a host of non-governmental organizations, such as Holt International, Mercy Corps and the Russian National Society for Prevention of Cruelty Against Children are already demonstrating an increasing commitment to improving the health and well-being of orphans. Assistance to Russian Orphans (ARO), a program funded by USAID, has supported over 80 projects Russia-wide, that help develop innovative health and child-care services for orphans and children at high risk of abandonment.
In looking to the future, we are about to embark on a new undertaking in which our nations will once again be strong partners, the "Healthy Russia 2020" initiative, open to both Russian and American institutions. "Healthy Russia 2020" will provide a forum for joint learning and sharing of experiences by people of our two countries, focusing on four areas: HIV/AIDS, TB control, women's and infants' health, and lifestyles of young Russians. In addition to a web portal, advocacy, mass media and other communication efforts, the new NGO, Healthy Russia, will support Russian health programs and engage international best practices for decades to come. I urge all of you to learn more about this new initiative and talk to your local healthcare institutions and NGOs about the opportunities this presents.
Moving beyond health, over the past decade much attention has been focused on encouraging partnerships between Russian and American NGOs, government officials, communities, and multilateral organizations on such issues as independent media, local governance, the rule of law, and the social service sector.
* In recent years, steps have been taken to begin addressing the issue of trafficking of people in Russia, in cooperation with the European Commission, the OSCE, the Government of Russia, my government, and U.S. and Russian NGOs such as Miramed and the Sestry Crisis Center. Trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery and a grave violation of human rights. It is of concern to both of our countries since unfortunately Russia is a source of trafficked individuals and the United States is often a destination. With the coordination of Duma Deputy Yelena Mizulina, cooperative efforts have produced sweeping anti-trafficking draft legislation that will protect victims and provide law enforcement with the tools necessary to combat this evil. The legislation is currently pending before the Duma, and, we hope, will be passed in the Duma's fall session. Preventing the trafficking of women will further require the elimination of the conditions of economic hardship, organized crime, and gender discrimination that foster its existence. Because the roots of the problem are entangled in existing social structures, further anti-trafficking efforts require a multifaceted approach that includes strengthening non-governmental organizations, providing job skills to potential victims, improving existing approaches for study of the problem, improving the skills of law enforcement agencies, and organizing public awareness campaigns. We see this as another key area in which Russian and American agencies and NGOs will continue to work together in the future.
* Despite great advances over the past ten years, certain constraints to the further development of civil society in Russia remain. These include a difficult regulatory environment, the lack of clear, consistent policies governing the interaction between civil society organizations and the government. Meaningful dialogue between NGOs and elected officials is still awkward. The average citizen, and perhaps your average politician or bureaucrat, still has a low level of understanding of the role of both non-governmental institutions and the individual in civil society. More needs to be done to educate everyone about the important - and positive - role of NGOs in dealing with the problems facing Russia.
* Furthermore, citizens must be guaranteed a choice to participate in this grand new democratic experiment, not only by voting, but - if they wish - by joining groups (like MSPS or Rotary International, or a social, religious or political group) or through some other means of active involvement in their communities, whether that means helping clean the local park or working with children in orphanages. Much has been done in the past to support democratic changes in Russia, and many have made great sacrifices, but we must ensure that these gains solidify if Russia is to become a truly vibrant participatory society.
There are other problems that demand attention, too, including the Herculean task of fixing the housing sector and communal services, the reform of the military and the pension system, and cleaning up the environment. President Putin and the Duma, and the regional governments, certainly have a lot on their plate.
Perhaps one of the keys to solving many of these problems, to help Russia face the challenges of the 21st century, is the creation a business environment that will support accelerated economic growth. This is the cardinal condition required for broad-based, sustainable growth that will generate jobs and increased incomes for the Russian people and generate the resources needed to address social issues.
Huge strides have already been made in the creation of a market-based economy and in the stimulation of such growth. And here I'm not just talking about big American investments like ExxonMobil's involvement in Sakhalin or the General Motors plant in Togliatti. I'm also talking about the hum of capitalist activity I've seen as I travel around this vast country. I've seen shops and cafes sprouting up like mushrooms in Novgorod and Irkutsk, and an emerging eco-tourism industry on Lake Baykal. I've heard the passion and the drive in the voices of businessmen and businesswomen in Volgograd and Perm. Not only can a Russian buy clothing at Dolce & Gabbana stores here in Moscow, but an American in Washington State can also pick up a six-pack of Baltika beer at the local market.
There's still a long way to go to ensure that the dynamic economic growth that Moscow and St. Petersburg are experiencing really hits the provinces, and in some cases some of the local politicians will have to change with the times. Furthermore, Russia needs to make a greater effort to shift away from its reliance on export of natural resources as a main source of revenue generation, although the United States is glad to import Russian gas and oil, thereby diversifying our energy sources. Yet, despite recent news reports involving the fate of certain oil giants, we remain hopeful that Russia will continue down the path of market reform. As the economy grows, as the federal and local governments increase their tax revenues, the Duma and the regional legislatures, as well as the executives, should be able to invest funds into the improvement of housing stock, communal services, healthcare and pensions. I believe President Putin understands that through economic growth, Russia will be in a better position to make the necessary changes to make the full transition to a democratic, market-based society. And, as I've said, the U.S. Government, our state governments, our NGOs, our community organizations and our businesses stand ready to assist in any way we can, even as we deal with many other problems, back home and abroad.
By the way, I should probably also mention that an improved economy has important implications for Russia's social and humanitarian sphere for another reason. There is a growing spirit of corporate philanthropy among international firms that are investing in Russia, and among Russian entrepreneurs themselves. Both U.S. and Russian companies are becoming more active in supporting social causes in the communities in which they work in Russia. We welcome and encourage this trend, and urge the government to do all it can to provide real incentives to corporate giving. Perhaps ironically, the more Zimins and Rockefellers, the more Tretyakovs and Carnegies - rich families that wish to take some of their profits and give them back to society - the better for the rest of society.
You might already know that USG-sponsored programs will gradually phase down over the coming years and the responsibility will increasingly shift to Russian stakeholders. We believe that, in many ways, Russia is becoming more and more capable of pursuing its further goals without large contributions from outside. As we plan for this transition, we are looking for ways to sustain the advances that our programs have helped to make and to continue the good work of U.S.-Russian cooperation long after assistance providers have left the country. The Moscow School of Political Studies exemplifies the kind of institution that we want to make sure is sustainable.
Moreover, even as our assistance programs phase out, we are exploring new ideas new ideas for cooperation and partnership. Let me share with you an idea that has been percolating recently. We have discussed the possibility of a U.S.-Russian volunteer corps that would involve an exchange of young volunteers between our two countries. Young Russians would go to the United States to live and work in areas such as teaching math or science, environmental protection, or health. Young American volunteers would travel to Russia to live and work in similar areas. Such informal, people-to-people contacts are the best way of ensuring mutual understanding between our countries. We encourage all ideas aimed at improving these contacts.
As I mentioned at the beginning of my remarks, the United States Government and many of our American friends are active here in Russia because it is in our own interest to see this country, and the Russian people themselves, become more prosperous, healthier, and more democratic. Equal partnership is the goal, as our mutual and complementary strengths can and should be merged to create a better world for all of us. I have great faith in Russia, partly because I believe that the commitment and energy of MSPS alumni, and the hundreds of idealistic Russians I have met in my travels over the past two years, will be funneled into helping this nation achieve its full potential.
I want to thank, again, the Moscow School of Political Studies for inviting me to speak here today. The Moscow School provides a marvelous forum for an in-depth discussion of all the challenges that Russia is currently facing. It provides an arena where Russia can learn from the experiences - from both the successes and mistakes - of other countries that have also been working on the same issues. And it is certainly a venue through which ideas for future cooperation between our nations can be developed and shared.
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