RUSSIA AS A VANGUARD OF EUROPE

Ambassador Rogozin

Reply to Dmitri Rogozin's Article on  Russia and Europe

Ответ на статью Дмитрия Рогозина об отношениях между Россией и Европой 
Risposta all' articolo di Dmitri Rogozin sui rapporti fra Russia ed Europa
Réponse à l'article  de Dmitri Rogozin sur les rapports entre la Russie et l'Europe
Antwort zu Dmitri Rogozins Artikel ueber Russland und Europa

The article of His Excellence Dmitry Rogozin "Repeating the abduction of Europe (in http://natomission.ru/en/society/article/society/artnews/42/) touches some themes which are at the center of my blog http://www.europestwolongs.blogspot.com, with a freedom of judgment which is appreciable in a diplomat.

Although we completely subscribe to the central thesis of Mr. Rogozin, i.e., that “juxtaposing Europe and Russia” amounts to “a profound delusion and misinterpreting the whole is blind to history”, we have some precisions to add as to certain aspects of the mutual relationships of these two areas, which are dealt with in details in our blog.

1.Europe, the West and the South

I remark preliminary that the Straights of Bering and even Vladivostok are much more “eastern” than Indonesia proper and the island of Moro in the Philippines, the more Eastern countries of Islamic Faith, and that Senegal and Morocco, the most Western parts of Islam, are more “Western” than Iceland and Portugal.

In practice, the “West” is in reality just the North of the Planet, and both Europe and Russia, but also the United States and Canada, belong to it. At its turn, the Islamic town of Kazan is on the same parallel of Moscow, Edinburgh and Belfast, i. es., more “Northern” than Berlin, Paris, London and Brussels. So, one has to be cautions in utilizing geographic metaphors for designating cultural identities.

The latter may be traced, and even with difficulty, thanks to historical, philosophical and political concepts, more than to geographic ones.

Personally, I find that “Western Civilizations” are characterized first of all by their common descent from the Old Testament; hence, they include both Islam and Western Secularism, but all of them differ from the “Eastern” traditions of San Jião and from the “Southern” traditions of animism and pantheism.

Within this broad “Western Cultural Area” there is a “tighter” “circle”of “European” culture, which is characterized by the acceptance of the continuity of the Roman tradition, through the “Translatio Imperî” via the “Three Romes”; hence, Western Europe, Russia and Turkey, whilst the USA, the Shiite Islamic countries and Israel do not want to pertain to this “core Europe”, because they reject a legitimization through the theory of the “Three Romes”, seeking their own, messianic, forms of historical legitimation.

2.Russia in Europe

The whole of my blog is devoted to void the prejudice, which His Excellence very appropriately calls “Repeating the abduction of Europe”, according to which Europe and Russia are “completely distinct civilizations with manifestly dissimilar values”.

My blog tries to demonstrate this point of view by dealing with a lot of specific historical and cultural phases, where the role of Russia and of Europe is absolutely interchangeable (migrations of the peoples, Eastern and Græco-Roman influences, Absolutism, Enlightenment, European Federalism, Romanticism, Nationalism, Marxism, a s.o.).I hope that my objective has been achieved, since statistics show that a growing number of readers oall over Europe are following attentively my posts.

3.West and South

According to my point of view, the “South” of the World should not encompass Islam, which is so similar to Europe that many if the characteristics of Europe came even from it. When young, the present Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan used to say that, should all Europeans convert to Islam, nobody would even perceive a difference.

Let’s mention the objective of the unification of the World which was anticipated in Dante’s idea of the Christian Empire, but whose model was the Caliphate; the main features of Catholic and Evangelic theologies (aristotelism, averroism, thomism); the national characters of Spain, Southern Italy and the Balcanic States (besides the ones of many Republics of the Russian Federation) which are deeply impressed by mysticism, Islamic architecture and Arabic or Turkish linguistics.

It is true that Islam participates, today, to an external pressure exerted on “the West” by other parts of the World, for changing the  present cultural and political balance of the same. However, this pressure does not come, primarily, from Islam, which is partially “internal” to the West, and is also politically weak, but, rather, from the Far East. The changes which will likely derive from these pressures are an open question, that needs to be addressed attentively by public opinions, intellectuals and authorities. However, some form of change is needed in Europe’s best interest, because the present balance of the West is too much unbalanced Westwards, so that many “typically European” values, like spirituality, culture, excellence, are sacrificed to performance, economy, technology, profit, and this leads to that overall cultural crisis of Western Europe that the Ambassador correctly denounces.

Such balance shift would not not mean, according to us, a demise of the European Identity, but, on the contrary, the re-discovery of its most deep-rooted origins, which include the ancient Middle East, the Peoples of the Steppes, the Arab Philosophy as well as the heritage of the German, Russian, Austrian and Ottoman Empires.

According to us, a Europe which would become more “Eastern and Southern” will be much nearer to Russia than the Europe of today. At the end of the day, the Polovcy of the Slovo o Polku Igoreva, the Khazars,the Shagané, Hadji Murad, Chakovskij and Diagilev are  an integral  part of  Russian Culture, in the same way as Averroes, Suleiman the Magnificent and Orhan Pamuk are full-fledged Europeans.

4.The Role of Russia

We agree that, so as his Excellence affirms,  Russia is exercising already now a role as a guardian of European culture. That role was expressed very appropriately, in his times, by Tjutchev, by his expression “the Russian Arch”, which has been utilized again by Sokurov, for his film bearing the same name. This expression means that Russia has absorbed so much the culture of Europe, that it is in a condition to preserve such culture inside itself even in these times, when it risks to be overwhelmed by globalization.

However, it is globalization, not “the South”, that endangers Europe’s culture and future.

As outlined in our blog, we recognise a certain  well-groundedness in the idea that Europe is culturally in decadence, and Russia is in the side of the future. This idea has not been invented either by Russian nationalists, nor by the newly born Russian Federation, but, on the contrary, has been a constant theme for a large part of European intelligencija, from Križanić to Kühlmann, from Leibniz to Herder, from Von Baader to Krüdener, from De Maistre to Nietzsche.

In the present days’ turmoil of the European Union, Russia is indeed the sole country with a clear cut vision for the future of the whole Continent, and having the means for implementing it.

However, this extraordinary opportunity, that Russia presently has, could be jeopardized easily, as it happened after the Congress of Vienna, when Russia did not succeed to have its proposals about the nature of the Holy Alliance endorsed  by Austria and England, and this brought about a continuous conflict between Great Powers and nationalities.

Joseph De Maistre, author of “Les Soirees de St. Petersburg”, whilst leaving his long-term assignment as the Ambassador in Russia of the Kingdom of Sardinia, affirmed: “Russia could have done so much for Europe but has done nothing”.

For being able to exploit the present opportunities, both Russia and Europe should focus much more on the study of their cultural traditions and on the ways in which they could foster cooperation alongside such traditions.

5.From the Atlantic to Urals

It is also true that today De Gaulle’s slogan is outdated. First of all, De Gaulle left the power more than 40 years ago, and the world has changed dramatically, emphasizing large distances and brood spaces.

Secondly, he was, unfortunately, no more successful, in implementing his vision, than Tsar Aleksandr 1^st in implementing his one.

It goes without saying that Russia is not limited to Urals, but includes also Siberia, Donji Vostok and a lot of Asiatic Republics.

A project for a really united Europe should have a consideration also for the future of such territories.

It is also true that Russia is doing very much in Siberia, and the visit of Nr. Barroso and Mr. Solana in Khabarovsk should have been very instructive for them under this point of view.

It is true, finally, that economic cooperation with West Europeans for Siberia will be the best way for assuring the European character of that area. Very good examples exist, such as the collaboration with the Italian Alenia and Pininfarina, for the production, in Komsomolsk na Amure, of the “Sukhoi Superjet 100”. However, long term problems for Siberia exist, and they should become an item of Euro-Russian discussions.

6.Operational suggestions

We hope that the article of Mr. Rogozin will be useful for persuading diplomatic, political and cultural circles, that a further reflection on the theme of the cultural interrelationships between Russia and Europe is urgent, for being able to lay the grounds of a necessary cooperation between the two areas in many and many fields.

Our blog cited above is a first tentative to find a ground where, by the utilization of modern technologies, Europeans of the East  and of the West may discuss about their common problems.

We would be happy to have also the Ambassador Rogozin and other Russian diplomats on our pages.

COORDINATING IMMIGRATION AND VISA

Popilation Density Worldwide

Demography, a common concern

 Демография, oбщая забота

La demografia, preoccupazione comune

La démographie -un souci partagé-

Demographie, ein gemeinsames Besorgnis.

One of the most stringent questions of present-days Russia has been its continuity with the former Russian Empire .

Contrary to Portugal, Spain, England France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Italy, whose empires extended beyond the Oceans, Russia Empire was built up into the “empty” areas of Eastern Russia, of Central Asia, of Siberia and of the Arctic Circle.

This characteristic of the Russian Empire facilitated integration, because of the similarity of living habits of the sedentary inhabitants of Western Russia and the ones of the Eastern Steppes, which, from another point of view, were very limited in quantity, and were allowed to continue their traditional way of life notwithstanding the annexation to Russia and the influx of Russian (or other European) colonists.

From another point of view, the very cold climates of these territories rendered difficult, since the beginning, their full-fledged colonization, which was reached, to a large extent, thanks only to forced work and to military. This fact impeded Siberia to experience the strong economic growth which, during these years, characterized similar countries, like Canada, the US, or Australia, an economic growth implying, reversal, the almost complete annihilation of native inhabitants.

As it is well known, one of the characteristics of the Stalinist terror was the one of continuing and developing the Tsarist practice to mass deport delinquents and political prisoners to Siberia, for utilizing their workforce in an area where free Russian would not have gone. This system was described by Aleksandr’ Sol’zenitzin, as “Archipelag Gul’ag”. All Siberia was scattered, in that period, of “GuLag” , and even the so-to-say “free” inhabitants of Siberia were often political exiles, and, in any case, could not freely cross the internal border between Siberia and Russia proper (“prepiska”).

With destalinization. the number of political prisoners in the GuLag (“Zeky”) diminished, but the system of “Prepiska” was not abolished.

Only with Perestrojka Russians were allowed to cross freely internal borders. This meant that millions and millions of Russian citizens stormed westwards.

To them, we must add ethnic Russians fleeing from the Republics and Center Asiatic immigrants to Russia.

The present demographic situation of Russia is economically and strategically rather unbalanced. In general, there has been a strong demographic decrease, due, from one side, to family attitudes similar to the ones of Western Europe (like Italy, Germany or Sweden); from the other side, to the unique economic collapse of the Eltzin era (we must keep in mind that just now, after 20 years, the standard of living of Russians has come back to the one of the former Soviet Union, when also the  much poorer Republics were taken into account for statistical purposes).

Secondly, there has been a strong immigration, in the last 20 years, into Russia proper, and especially into Moscow, which, now is the largest city in Europe after Istanbul. This population is largely constituted by citizens of the former Republics, which Russia is just now starting to naturalize. 25 millions Ethnic Russians live outside the Russian Federation, most of them in Ukraine and Kazakhstan, but with strong presences in Latvia, in Transnistria, in France, Germany and England.

Large areas of the Russian Federation, also of European Russia (like Chechnya) have been voided from ethnic Russians, and live according to Asiatic standards (Islam, Shari’a).

The face of Siberia is changing dramatically from day to day. The defrost of the Polar Circle is revitalising the climatic conditions of some millions of years ago (as described in the Indian and Persian sacred books: Veda and Bundahishn).The ice is disappearing, the climate is becoming milder and milder, especially in the south of Siberia and along the Pacific Ocean. This fact does not just transform Siberia into one of the largest arable lands of the world, but, also, is facilitating the economic activities which already were established in the region (minerals and fuel extraction, navigation).

The riches of Siberia grows from day to day, almost without the need to do anything. Unfortunately, Russian people do not love (for historical reasons) to live in Siberia, notwithstanding the enticements of the Government. So, these huge economic opportunities which Siberia is offering to Russia are not sufficiently exploited at the moment,in spite of the activism of the Government and its efforts to revitalise Donji Vostok, Novosibirsk and Yamal.

Moreover, Russia is justifiably  afraid of the fact that other countries could try to appropriate Siberia’s resources. It has already experienced similar situations in the period of occupation, by Japanese and Czechs, of Siberia, during the Civil War, as well as the uncontrolled export of oil revenues by the Oligarchs during the Eltzin period.

In the last period, some Western Politicians (like Madelaine Albright), have accused Russia to be “greedy”, because they want to keep Siberia only for them. This has just increased the worries of Russians. On the other side, Chinese, Korean and, even, Japanese, immigrants are settling alongside the Chinese border, in that Region of Donji Vostok, which, before the “Unequal Treaties” with China in the XIX Century, constituted the core provinces of the Manchu (Jurchen) dynasty.

The attitude of the Russian political world towards the Siberian question is split. The tentative to have immigrant Ethnic Russians resettling in Siberia has substantially failed. American oil companies have been substituted with the more acceptable  Europeans, like the Italian Eni and Enel,  German enterprises and, lately, the British BP. The Russian State has been obliged, even in the absence of more palatable solutions, to accept even “land grabbing” by Indian, Chinese, Indonesian and Arabic agro-alimentary conglomerates.On the other side, there are concerns about the growing resentment against foreigners in public opinion, and about the possible birth of a Siberian autonomism.

The best solution remains  to share the resources with Europe, and, especially, with Italy and Germany, and this is precisely the direction towards which the Authorities are pushing. However, for being able to carry out this policy up to its end, two prerequisites would be needed:

-    a better  knowledge of the existing opportunities, by a larger number of potential investors and settlers;

-     a higher shared level of confidence in a common future for Europe and for Russia.

In the last period, Russia, having realized that Europe is only partially ready to follow it in the Siberian adventure, has modified also its stance towards China, re-orienting dramatically its own exchanges and collaboration in the direction of China (although  the  contract whereby  one half of Russian production will be directed towards China has not yet been signed), and, in general, is re-launching a policy of open doors for investments of any possible nationality.I.a., arge areas of Donij Vostok (as well as a lot of Chinese-Russian  border territories) will be devoted to  Russian-Chinese Joint-Ventures.

However, the most important question concerning Siberia is not yet fixed.Siberia is one of the largest countries , and contains most of natural resources of the world, but  Russia is  not in  a position to populate Siberia with a sufficient number of citizens conceiving themselves as Russians.Russia alone, with its 150.000.000 inhabitants, has not the required demographical strength  for filling Siberia. Not even Europe, by itself, has this capability. However, a new geo-political complex (“Eurussia”), characterized by a multipolar and pluralistic identity, could develop a new “mixed” Siberian people, with its own identity, which could satisfy these “demographic” needs. In fact, both Russia and  Europe, are the target of a continuous inflow of immigrants, from Eastern Europe, but also from the Middle East, from Africa and from South America. In case Siberia would develop, as it is possible, all of its natural resources, including agriculture and tourism, and the standard of living there would  become higher, there is no reason why the immigration influx, under the joint control of Europeans and Russians, could not be diverted, at least partially,  towards Siberia. This would suppose that Russia and Europe join their destinies more deeply, and that they develop a joint identity, which will be shared also by the "New Siberians".

We understand very well that this seems to be a very long and difficult task, for a far-away future. We agree that the task is not simple. It requires strong synergies between, from one side, Russia itself, and, from the other side, at least a selected group of European interests - including some politicians, some industrialists and intellectuals -.

The first step is already under way: it is the existing agreement on visa simplification, which should open the doors to the "Eurasiatic Visa-Free Area ", under discussion since a long time, but presently very controversial. Not only the Baltic States are traditionally contrary, but also there is a trend, both in Russia and in Europe , to tighten immigration policies.For the above reasons, a parallel, if not preliminary, step, should be  to further foster mutual interrelationships, in industry and culture, with special reference to Siberia. Another  step would be to create a Europewide network, aiming at removing prejudices existing towards Russia in general and Siberia in particular, and promoting concrete joint initiatives.
The Russian Ambassador with NATO in Brussels, Rogozin, has correctely remarked recently that, when the Chairman of the EU Commission Barroso