The state policy of the modern Russia in the Arctic: periods, priorities and several results

At the end of the XX - early XXI century, the attention of the leading countries in the world of international organizations and political figures attracts the Arctic region. This is due to several factors. First, the Arctic – is a vast northern polar region of the earth, with its geopolitical importance and includes the continental margin of Eurasia and North America, almost the entire Arctic Ocean with the islands and the adjacent Atlantic and Pacific oceans, which comprise a total area of about 21 million square feet. miles. Second, the Arctic is a potential region with vast deposits of oil intact (according to preliminary estimates of up to 13% of the world), gas (up to 30% of the world's undiscovered reserves) and other natural bio-resources. Thirdly, this area includes the sea the (North Sea Route – is the shortest path between the European part of Russia and the Far East, the Northwest Passage – is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans), and Air Communications (Air North Bridge connects North America to Southeast Asia .)

The national interests of Russia as one of the "Arctic" powers in respect of the region are obvious. They update today is dictated by the growing interest in the Arctic is not only the states directly bordering it (Canada, Denmark, Norway and the U.S.), but also Germany, China, Japan and other countries, each of which has its own interests and views on the status of the region in the international context. Different views are reflected in the political declarations of the States concerned, which is a logical extension of their actual implementation by the intensification of the international cooperation, and interstate competition for its geopolitical position in the region.

The obvious is the fact that the Arctic area of international cooperation and competition includes a rich variety of the both internal and external legal, economic, cultural, and environmental and resource factors. From here appear the nessasity of the realisation to implement the state policy of Russia in the Arctic, which is at the moment, though brief, but practical implementation.

Conventionally, the implementation of the state policy regarding of the Arctic region in the post-Soviet Russia can be divided into several stages. The first stage begins conventionally in 1991 and marked the creation of the authorized body of the RSFSR State Committee for the Arctic and Antarctic in 1992 is that of the RF State Committee for the Arctic and Antarctic, which was renamed in 1992, the Interdepartmental Commission for the Arctic and Antarctic (lasted until, 2004). This Commission was called upon to coordinate the scientific, economic, social, economic and environmental activities in the Arctic (including Svalbard) and Antarctic, monitoring the progress of the decisions of the supreme bodies of state power of Russia, the Russian President and Government of the Russian Federation in these areas. In order to provide a comprehensive study of the problems of the North, the Arctic and the life of numerically small peoples of the North, as well as better coordination of research on these issues by the Russian government in 1992, was formed All-Russian Scientific Coordination Center for the complex problems of the North, the Arctic and the life of small peoples of the North1 - coordinator of the research institutes involved in the study of the development of the regions of the North, the Arctic and the problems of indigenous peoples of the North. In 1994, the Federation Council formed the Committee for the Northern Affairs and Indigenous Peoples, which is formed from members of the Federation Council - the senators from the northern territories of the Russian Federation, representing the "upper" House of the interests of the northern regions. The main areas of activity are economic and social development of northern regions, natural resources, indigenous peoples, and autonomous regions.

Since that time, the approaches of the new Russian state policy in the Arctic are reflected in the very first documents 2.Today, hundreds of legal documents took, which declare the socioeconomic and environmental dimension of public policy in the Arctic region. One of the most important legal acts of the period can be called the Federal Law "On the basis of state regulation of socio-economic development of the Russian North"»3, which could be regarded as a prototype of the future of the Russian Arctic strategy aimed at ensuring the development of the Arctic zone, the protection of national interests in the region over the long term. But in 2004 this law was repealed, which could adversely affect prospects for sustainable development in the Arctic and the deteriotating of the socio-economic problems.

Since the beginning of the 1990s, Russia is strengthening its positioning in international relations with countries in the Arctic region. As a member of the organization Russia included in the Council of Baltic Sea States (1992)4, Northern Forum (1992)5, the Council of the Barents/Euro -Arktic region (1993)6, Conference of the Parlamentariev of the Arctic region (1994)7, Arctic Coun- cil (1996)8 and later – the project of the European Union «Northern dimenshion» (1999)9. In the field of military co-operation only in 1994 were joint military exercises between Russia and Norway in the waters off the coast of the northern Norway near Tromsø to Kirkenes on ("Pomor-1994"), which will be resumed only after 16 years ("Pomor-2010," "Pomor-2011 ").

Thus, the legal, institutional, international aspects of public policy in the Arctic have been logical to start it in the region. However, this stage is actually announced a line of privatization of the Russian Arctic, which is manifested in the change of the status of the Northern Sea Route, which previously served mainly the needs of the state and transportation of natural resources. But the transition to a market economy, privatization of ports and shipping companies, the elimination of public procurement, the violation of the regional transport and communications technology have led to the disintegration of a single economic mechanism for SMEs [1]. As a result, are still in service today, the Russian nuclear icebreakers (build time 80 - early 90-ies of the XX century, except for the icebreaker "50 Years of Victory" (2007)), according to Vice-President of RAS AN Laverov to be incapacitated as early as 2016.

From this period in the Arctic has begun industrial decline and the outflow of people, which is observed so far. As a result, over the past two decades, from the northern regions of Russia have already left about 3 million people. The population of the Chukotka Autonomous Region only for the period from 1991 to 2009 decreased by 3.2 times, the Magadan region of 2.4 times. This trend is observed in other regions of Russia in the Arctic region. Continuing to move from the North of Russia, the most trained and skilled workers are young people [2]. These trends naturally are negative factors for the development of the Arctic region of Russia.

The next phase of the public policy in the Arctic began in 1997. He contributed to the ratification of the Russian Federation in February of this year, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which sets the outer boundary of the state on a 12-mile zone and economic - to 200-mile radius. The Arctic policy making again concentrated in the range of measures and legislation that would actually support and development areas of the North and the Arctic. In order to enhance public support of the northern regions and create conditions for their socio-economic development during the formation of market relations the Government of the Russian Federation passed a resolution "On reforming the system of state support areas of the North10, where among other tasks were listed public policies to create favorable conditions for economic activity and support the producers in the North, the formation of labor resources in the North, the optimization of the population, better targeting of government guarantees and compensations, creating favorable conditions for working and living conditions of small indigenous peoples, creation of effective mechanisms for the supply of food, fuel and energy resources in the Far North. The program of state support of the northern territories was aimed at the creation of guarantees and compensations to the residents of the North, but its analysis shows that the measures implemented the fragmentic and not unsistematic character.

The importance of targeted support of the Arctic region of the country is manifested in the appearance of the bill "On the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation"11, which was designed to provide the geopolitical interests of Russia in the Arctic, the Arctic zone of sustainable development and preservation of its unique environment through the implementation of the draft law submitted to the main directions of state policy. However, its adoption is still postponed indefinitely. This is due, apparently, anticipated growth in public spending by ensuring that benefits the region's population and a decrease in the tax base.

Thus, the attempt to implement effective public policy is not properly crowned with success due to lack of political will, adequate public funding support and the development of Russian's Arctic zone, fragmentation of the political elite.

The third stage of the state of Arctic policy starts in 2000, a feature which, unlike the previous phases was striving for an integrated approach in the development of the Russian Arctic and the protection of national interests in the region, which includes the legal, international, scientific, economic, military and other components. Start of the period laid a governmental decree on March 24, 2000 № 441-p, regulating the activities of various departments to prepare an application to the UN, justifying the expansion of the outer limits of the continental shelf of the Russian Federation in the Arctic region.

Adopted in the same year, the National Security Concept of the Russian Federation 12 declared that "as soon as possible should be developed mechanisms to maintain life and the economic development in crisis regions and districts of the Far North," which in the Presidential Decree "On the National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2020"13 reflected in the number of scheduled public events, where the Arctic zone of special attention in matters of border security, the development of competitive industries, improve the efficiency of the fuel and energy complex, the increased use of instruments of public-private partnership to address the strategic objectives of the economic development and completion of basic transport, energy, information, military infrastructure.

In 2001 the government approved a draft Principles of State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Arctic, an idea which finds its continuation in the Principles of the State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Arctic of the period till 2020 and beyond14, approved by the President Dmitry Medvedev only in 2008. Note that this "Arctic strategy" relates mainly to the strengthening of the borders, international cooperation, environmental protection of the Russian sector, the need to support the development of socio-economic areas in the Arctic region.

However, after the signing of the Principles of the State Policy of the Russian Federation in the Arctic for the period till 2020 and beyond has not yet received any legal document, aimed at achieving the objectives of the support and the development of the region. This is due to including the fact that the preparation of documents and projects engaged in different departments with no overall coordination of their activities due to lack of a duly authorized public authority. Also in 2000 the State Duma15 of the Russian Federation President proposed to consider the reestablishment of the structure of federal bodies of executive authority, the jurisdiction which would have included issues related to livelihoods and sustainable economic development of the Far North and equivalent areas. This state was formed in 2002. It is the Council on the Far North and the Arctic regions of the Russian Government as a permanent advisory body created to address issues of the public policy of the Far North and the Arctic, as well as training on these issues relevant proposals. However, short-lived, together with the Interdepartmental Commission for the Arctic and Antarctic was eliminated in 200416.

So, in order to prove its right to expand the borders of Russia organized by the Arctic shelf of the expedition. The outcome of the expedition "Arctic 2000" was the statement by Russia that the underwater Lomonosov and Mendeleyev ridges are the continuation of the continent and the Arctic continental shelf should be increased by 1.2 million miles. This statement eventually became the basis of applications submitted in 2001 Russian proposal to UN Secretary General to establish the outer limit of the continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean, but after testing it was invited to provide barometric and charts, to give more convincing geological data. As expected, the improved Russia's claim to the Arctic shelf will be ready by December 2013, and tentatively in early 2014 will be submitted to the UN.

For further research were organized the expedition "Arctic-2005", which resulted in the first ever maritime transport vessel "Akademik Fedorov" unaccompanied icebreaker reached the North Pole, "Arctic-2007" - during this expedition, researchers have reached the bottom of the geographic north pole. In 2008 work began on the landing of the Russian drifting polar expedition "North Pole-36".

The 2000s was marked by many meetings, international forums, meetings of the State Council on the development of the Northern Sea Route and the Arctic. Already become traditional to the International Arctic Forum (2010 - Moscow, 2011 - Archangel), International Economic Forum in Murmansk (2009-2011) and others that serve as a forum for solving many problems in the development of the North and the Arctic, involving top officials, the general public, including international.

Russia is continuing joint military exercises with the Norwegian side in 2010 and in 2011, with Canadian and U.S. militaries (the teachings of "Vigilant Eagle").

The international activities of Russia chairs in the Arctic Council (2004-2006) – is an international organization established in 1996 at the initiative of Finland, designed to promote cooperation in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development of the polar regions.

The most significant event in the implementation of the Arctic policy in Russia was signed with Norway, September 15, 2010 Treaty on maritime delimitation and cooperation in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean. This agreement established the maritime boundary between States, and defined the principles of the cooperation in the sharing of undersea hydrocarbon resources, which should ultimately contribute to the realization of individual power projects in the Arctic region.

The next significant development was the sign in January 2011 an agreement on exploration and the development of the three sectors of the Kara Sea between the oil companies "Rosneft" and "British Petroleum", but the deal fell through because of the nomination of AAR (the Russian shareholders of TNK-BP) additional conditions are unacceptable. Instead of "British Petroleum" deal with "Rosneft" in August 2011 entered into a strategic partnership, "Ekson Mobile", according to which the U.S. company receives a share of projects in the Arctic and in the Black Sea, and Russia – is the prospect of the participation in projects in the Gulf of Mexico and Texas, indicating a desire for cooperation between the two countries in the oil sector of the economy.

As a result, the third stage is characterized by the intensity of the policy implementation of the state of the Arctic policy, but rather contradictory. On the one hand, the economic component aims to open dialogue with the key international players, on the other - due to increased international attention to the potential of the Arctic region in the revitalized Russian armed forces (resumed flights of strategic bombers carried out naval exercises). Thus, Russia strengthens its position in the region and demonstrates a willingness to defend national interests in the Arctic region. The majority of problems under consideration in Russia are still not resolved (infrastructure and social-economic development, policy implementation mechanism of the Arctic, etc.).

During the 20-year history of implementation of the state policy priority of the Arctic Russia has set for itself the development of natural resources, extension of the continental shelf, the consolidation of the status of the Russian Northern Sea Route. Implementation of the Arctic policy has undergone a series of qualitative transformations. The initial stage was marked by the adoption of legal documents that determine the development of the Russian Arctic, the intensification of international relations with the Arctic states and attempts to create responsible for the development of this area of public authorities. In the subsequent stages is updated legal framework, international cooperation, the implementation of measures aimed at securing Russia's right to expand the outer boundary of the Arctic region.

Noting the importance of the geopolitical importance of the Arctic region in the national interests of Russia today, unfortunately, have to admit that current policies do not fully meet the national security of Russia in the Arctic. It is characterized by the fragmentation and lack of implementation strategies for the long term, despite the adoption of Russian so-called "Arctic doctrine." The main difference between the Russian approach to the development of the Arctic in the fact that Russia's Arctic is seen more as a resource potential for the development of the country, and for Western countries - it is energy security.

The question today included not only the modernization of the state policy in the Arctic, and in their implementation through innovative approaches, which should create a special legal regime of economic, social, ecological, environmental and other activities. Refusal of public policy development in the Arctic zone of Russia will eventually lead to the fact that this region is expected to negative trends, the consequences of which would be insurmountable in the near future.