Message from Consul General of the Russian Federation in Karachi

We are celebrating the National Day of the Russian Federation - the Russia Day. We are proud of belonging to a dynamic nation - to a country that plays a very important role in each and every world processes. This year we proudly celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first manned space flight by a Russian pilot Yury Gagarin.
This first flight opened the whole new era in the history of mankind. Russia is a nation that pursues an active foreign policy a policy free of stereotypes, a policy that facilitates settlement of remaining international problems, a policy that favors the expansion of beneficial cooperation in all regions of the world.
Our policy is the policy of peace. Not a single Russian soldier is now fighting outside the national frontiers of Russia.
We are partisans of a foreign policy based on international law and morality, we are supporters of strengthening the legal and moral basis of the international relations. In our view violations of national sovereignty, disrespect to human lives, disrespect of a moral nature of a human being, that is a spiritual foundation of the World civilization could have catastrophic consequences.
Unfortunately the belief in universal character of the values of a single nation is still alive. We reject messianic policy, policy of exclusiveness, and we are convinced that one should get rid of the approaches, based on messianism and exclusiveness, and the sooner the better. We oppose imposing on the countries of values that do not correspond their culture and traditions.
Russia in its foreign policy seeks to avoid a situation where our country becomes a party in "settling the accounts" among the civilizations. We are obliged to maintain our balancing role, based on our rich and unique experience, experience of the internal coexistence and cooperation, that lasted for centuries, coexistence and cooperation of more than 150 ethnic groups, of more than 50 religious confessions.
Russia addresses the world from the position of justice and truth from the positions of the values that are close and understandable for men and women throughout the world. We are against any manifestation of racism, xenophobia, intolerance, against any attempt to split the world along the religious, ethnic or civilization lines. We consider interreligious, intercivilisational dialogue to be an important element that contributes the establishment of a just world order.
And I wish to emphasize that in our view the dialogue with the Islamic civilization should be a crucial component of the interreligious dialogue. The reasons for that are quite obvious - the Islamic faith is second largest and second from the point of view of influence in Russia.
The Russian Federation is a nation that was one of the first to go out of the deepest world economic and financial crisis. That crisis demonstrated the bankruptcy of the ideas of a liberal capitalism, of a society based on limitless consumption. This crisis clearly proved that is was, it is and it will be impossible to enter the way of sustainable development based solely on those liberal capitalism ideals.
The world economic and financial crisis was another testimony that the sustainable development is not possible without relying on such fundamental notions as spirituality, morality, justice.
After a successful exit out of the crises Russia entered the way of modernizing itself. Modernization should be fulfilled based on latest achievements of science and technology. While modernizing itself, my country adopts what useful could be found in other nations. But at the same time we are seeking for the model of development that, relying on our identity, could advance us as one of the most stable and prosperous countries.
Modernization will touch not only economic sphere. We have undertaken changes in the fields of biomedicine, space, information technologies, energy, telecommunications, transport. While reforming our military we want to create an efficient defense structure that will be abreast with the requirements of the 21st century. While reforming our law-enforcement system we aim at giving to our state the capabilities to meet the challenges and threats of today.
My country faces tremendous tasks. We will have to settle very complicated problems. But we believe in the strength of our people's spirit. That strength will enable us to overcome the difficulties that arise on our way.
Our relations with Asian countries are of a friendly nature. Russia, first and foremost, is an Asian nation - two thirds of our territory is Asia. For the last several years the positions of Russia in the South Asian region have become even stronger. Good prospects for the cooperation with the countries of the region are seen now. We think that the possibilities that are being opened for us and our partners are to be actively utilized.
Only one month ago we witnessed a triumphant, a really historical visit to Russia of H.E. Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Presidents Medvedev and Zardari discussed the prospects of the Russia - Pakistan relations as well as important international and regional issues, specifically focusing on coordination of efforts to counter international terrorism. During the visit very positive documents were signed, very important agreements were reached. Those agreements open new bright prospects for the mutually beneficial cooperation between our two countries and peoples in different fields.
We are absolutely sure that the development of the friendly ties between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan will contribute the well-being of our two peoples, the well-being of the peoples of the region and of the world.