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(jj II < fill i Jfl "TH -1 ©HT 1 - t_W JT |T1 I r^g) RUSSIA AS WORLD DONOR: OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Temirov Anuar Erenovich, Turkhanova Aigerim Goltaevna, Eurasian National University after L.N. Gumilyov, Astana, Kazakhstan E-mail: Temirov. ir@gmail.com E-mail: sajasata@mail.ru
Abstract. Official development assistance is the key instrument for the developed countries to provide diplomacy of soft power and pursuit their own interests in the world. The Russian Federation has made successful steps to institutionalize own instruments of official development aid. Russia supports the realization of UN Millennium Declaration, Monterrey consensus, Johannesburg declaration on sustainable development to build stable and equitable world order.
Key words: humanitarian aid, ODA, Russia, donor.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union 15 newly independent states started their own way as new members of international relations. The Russian Federation in the early 90s was unable to take leading place in the international system therefore crisis tendencies of the economy had led Russia concentrate more on domestic policy. Nevertheless, Russian government demonstrated the ability to response for new challenges likewise made aspirt from being recipient to world's biggest donor.
First of all, active Russian policy of official development assistance undertook from 2004-2005 when the economy of succession state of USSR recovered from deep structural economic crisis. Moscow stopped receiving aid likewise the country was excluded from list of recipients in 2005 becoming independent from foreign allocations. According to World Bank statistics, the growth of GDP of Russia was 6,5% in 2005[1]. Positive economic factors allowed Russia to accept its Conception of participation in the international development assistance at June 14, 2007[2]. Moreover, President Vladimir Putin accepted modernized state policy conception of official development assistance in 2014 [3]. The strategy of ODA was not an endeavor to return the previous soviet broad system of assisting aid. This step accelerated further advance of Russia as regional and world power. Moreover, all countries of G8, except Russia, had already had conceptions and institutions helping other countries
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with technical and humanitarian aid. The necessity of becoming world donor allowed Russia to open new page in its newest history.
For the period 2004-2011 Russia assisted the developing countries for approximately $2,5 billion[4, p.4]. The main regional priority for aid is neighboring countries of CIS. The concentration on this region is reasonable: Russia does not want to lose its influence providing the policy of integration in different areas as economy, security and culture. Colliding with new geopolitical realities such as enlargement of NATO or facing new challenges for the national security as terrorism and religious extremism Russia tries to maintain ambitious presence in post-soviet region. The states of Commonwealth of independent states continue confronting by civil wars, revolutions and humanitarian crises. Total sum of humanitarian aid for the region amounted for $239,2 million from 2000 to 2011[5, p.20]. Despite accusations of being aggressor from western states, particularly NATO members, in the Ukrainian conflict Russia supported the neighbor with 61 humanitarian convoys with total weight over 67 thousand tons [6].The most important track of the Russian "soft power" policy remains Central Asia. Minister of foreign affairs S. Lavrov underlined the Russian Federation allocated more than $6,7 billion, including $4 billion gratuitous help, for 5 states of the region for one decade [7]. When Kyrgyzstan, strategic partner and close ally of Moscow, was suffered from revolution processes in 2010, Russia provided the aid to the sum of $50 million: $20 million of grants and 30 millions of dollars as preferential credits. Also Russia pays close attention to development of educational and language diplomacy in the region along of big amount of Russian population living all over the region. Russia launched different educational programs as READ 2008-2012, federal program "Russian language" for the period 2011-2015. In this area Russia has done great scope of work with its strategic partners as Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan where people have problems with access to educational process. In 2015-2016 the number of students studied in Russia from the Commonwealth of independents states indicated more than 75 thousand young people, including 55 thousand from Central Asia [8]. Russia performed by providing help to stabilize regional environmental problems. The country has been supporting regional instruments for the solution of ecological issues such as the international fund for the saving of Aral Sea, Anti-crisis Fund of Eurasian economic community and Eurasian development bank.
Moscow, as the main regional player in CIS, initiating Organization of Collective Security Treaty (OCST) and playing important role in Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), has close military ties with the partners of the region. Modern threats to regional security, such as terrorism, drug traffickinghave been always originatingin Afghanistan for more than 30 years. Therefore, Russia hasparticipated in Afghan peace settlement and reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure since the beginning of the conflict. The humanitarian aid to Afghanistan
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for the period 2001-2008 estimated $30 million, while the technical assistance amounted to $220 million [9]. Russian government provides the opportunities to afghan students giving scholarships every year to study in universities of the Russian Federation. The number of scholarships for 2014-2015 academic year was 150, according to Afghanistan embassy in the Russian Federation [10].
The third track of Russian ODA's policy directs topromote aid to African region, especially to sub-saharian African states. Russia, as permanent member of UN Security Council, should stay active and provide balanced policy in the region. Furthermore, Africa has perspectives as attractive area for investors and economic center in the future. Likewise Russia can ensure the entry to the region as global power by prompt and effective action of official aid for development instruments. Africa always fights with threats of the regional and food security, poverty. The main destinations of the aid are Zambia, DR Congo and Ethiopia. The total sum of aid sent to Africa for the period of 2011-2013 was $131 million [11]. Russia cooperates with international institutions as World Bank, UNDP, International Fund for the fighting AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria to allocate the assignment to Africa. To continue with, Moscow always makes contributions when African individuals suffer from new forms of diseases. The total sum of Russian aid for the Trust Fund for the fighting Ebola amounted for $3 million [12]. Making another sign of charity, the Russian Federation pardoned $20 billion soviet debt for African states [13].
Russian involvement in the processes of Middle East and Northern Africa determined the assistance to countries of the region where Russia pursues own political and economic interests. Furthermore, Russian national security depends on stability of the region where ideas of religious extremism and terrorism often penetrate into the minds of young Muslim generation. Russia is one of the most active participants in Syrian crisis likewise war cost for the governmentcalculates not only by delivered warplanes, but also by delivered humanitarian aid to Syrian people. According to UN Office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs, Russia has delivered more than $52 million dollars to Syria since the beginning of the war [14]. The diversity of humanitarian cooperation consists of delivering humanitarian convoys, organizing concerts with Russian musicians for the Syrians, providing medical assistance. The world famous symphonic orchestra of the theatre Mariinka, Alexandrov choir took the risk going to Palmyra with the concerts, when Syrian army recaptured the city in 2016. Furthermore, Russian government cooperates with nongovernmental organizations such as "Russian humanitarian mission" to build peace in Syria together [15]. Moreover, Russia plays important role in other countries of the Middle East to arrange the situation after the Arab spring. The situation in Yemen and Libya remains unstable. Therefore, Russia sent $7 million to Libya where tensions rose after assassination of Ghaddafi in 2011. Russia continues to assist Yemen to reduce humanitarian crisis where 20 of 22 provinces declared a state of emergency
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[16].
Russia pays close attention to the humanitarian situation in Latin America likewise Moscow always supports states of the region when they collide with natural disasters, catastrophes, poverty and humanitarian crises. Geopolitical interests of Moscow coincide with Latin American desire to build multipolar world and provide multi-vector foreign policy. Moreover, collaboration with the region can be a response to enlargement of NATO in Eastern Europe. Also, Russia as leader of Eurasian Economic Union has priority to cooperate with regional economic blocks such as MERCOSUR, Pacific Alliance. Russia keeps strengthening ties with allies of former Soviet Union: socialistic Cuba and Nicaragua. Making tour of visits to the countries of Latin America in 2014, Vladimir Putin signed the agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Cuba of $30,5 billion debt settlement [17]. Moreover, the Russian humanitarian aid is always delivered when Cuba faces hurricanes, floods. According to the data of OECD, Russia was one of the biggest donors to Nicaragua sent $124 million for the period 2011-2013 [18, p.6].
Russia, as member of Asia-Pacific regional system, is interested in equal development of all states in the region, including developing countries of Asia and Oceania. The region is quite important for enhancing trade cooperation, diversifying markets of energy resources, therefore, official aid for development used by Russia assists for integration and development of regional states. The insularity of many countries creates not only tsunami and earthquake threats, but also the opportunity to Russian system of humanitarian aid to be involved in solution of natural diseases. The most destructive tsunami in Southeast Asia on December 26, 2004 impressed Russia to set up $33 million of humanitarian assistance to Indonesia, Thailand and Sri -Lanka through international organizations as WHO, UNICEF, WFO [19]. Developed countries also need help when they confront by humanitarian crises. Russia came forward one of the first, when Japan faced tragedy of Fukusima in 2011. Had the same experience in Chernobyl in 1986, the ministry of emergency situations sent 180 rescuers to reduce the level of radioactive pollution [20]. Moreover,Russia, as the leader of EEU, aims to establish contacts between ASEAN and Eurasian trade block as leaders of the countries agreed at Russia-ASEAN summit in Sochi on May 19-20, 2016. In this area, Russia made concrete steps to enhance humanitarian cooperation with ASEAN giving 10 thousand scholarships to the students of ASEAN countries [21].
To summarize, the Russian Federation as other developed countries of OECD perceived the real power of official development assistance to achieve strategic goals on the track of foreign policy. Russia pursuing the goal to strengthen positions in the world provides successful policy of humanitarian assistance. Russian actions of "good will" will help steadily increase the presence of Russia in the areas of its interest.
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