By Vestnik Kavkaza
On December 1st the government of Russia should approve the document of “Foundations of State Youth Policy in the Russian Federation by 2025,” according to an order of President Putin. The MSU and the interdepartmental working group, which includes federal and regional officials, MPs, heads of universities, and social activists, have been developing the document since spring.
Sergey Pospelov, the head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, says that “today there is a document which is similar to the document that has been developed by us. This is the Strategy of State Youth Policy by 2016. It was developed in 2006. However, we all understand that due to changes in the geopolitical, economic and demographic situation in the world, there are new challenges in our country.”
Stanislav Surovtsev, the head of the Department for Morale Building Work in MGIMO, specifies that “the priority of Russian foreign policy and international youth policy is the development of cooperation at such platforms as the BRICS and the SCO. These are platforms which enable us to build the correct foreign policy of Russia through instruments of soft power, instruments of public diplomacy, instruments of education.”
Artem Markaryan, the head of the Department for Scientific Cooperation of Youth and Communicational Programs of Rossotrudnichestvo, says: “Speaking about work with young people, we directly work with foreign partners, foreign young people, leaders who come to us within the presidential program “New Generation.” The program was approved by the President of Russia in 2011. It requires visits to Russia by foreign young people aged 25-35 from four major target groups. The first group is politicians and social activists. The second group includes scientists and cultural activists. The third group – journalists and mass media experts. The fourth groups – businessmen who come to Russia.”
Sultan Khamzayev, the First Deputy of the Public Chamber Commission for Youth Initiatives, thinks that Russian non-governmental organizations should optimize youth policy: “It is not know-how which was invented in Russia. It is world practice. Our overseas colleagues are using these technologies today. Sangadzhi Tarbayev, a member of our Chamber, suggested organizing a club of “Russia’s friends.” We don’t need to search for them. They are foreigners who study in Russian universities. A great flow came from the Soviet Union, today these people take various positions in various countries. These people are bearers of our culture and our values. They know us better than others. We should work with them professionally.”
Speaking about intensification of international contacts in the sphere of youth policy, Sergey Pospelov says: “2014-2015 are years of international youth exchanges with China. In a few days we will send a Russian delegation to China. It is a return visit. In Baku on October 28th the first global forum will take place. It will be supported by Russia and the CIS countries. So interest in young people is growing not only in Russia, but also in the world. We can confirm the fact.”
