Essay. Proskura Maria. Istratov V.N.

Essay

“Russia and Group of Seven/Eight”

Done by

1^st year master student of MSU

Faculty of Public Administration

Proskura Maria

Scientific advisor:

Associate Professor, Ph.D.

Istratov V.N.

The Group of Seven/Eight is unofficial forum of leading industrialized democratic countries such as USA, Great Britain, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, Italy, Russia (from 1997 to 2014); members of European Union are also presented. Group participants hold more than 49 percent of world export, 51 percent of production, 49 percent of IMF assets.

Group of Seven/Eight was founded in November 1975. Besides, the first meeting was the Group of Six that was conducted in 1975. That meeting was initiated by President of France. In 1976 Canada expressed a desire to join the Group, it already consisted of seven countries. The next step in developing the Group was inclusion of European Union – since 1977 representatives of EU became permanent participants of Group meetings. To be more specific, EU is presented in G7/8 by President of Commission of European Communities and President of European Council.

Going to Russian engagement in G7, it is worth saying that first contacts became relevant in times of USSR. In July 1991, leaders of the Group held a working meeting with President of USSR Mikhail Gorbachev in London. Then it became usual to conduct such format of interaction and world problems discussion. Group of Seven/Eight now coordinates approaches to actual world issues.

However, design of G8 was launched in 1994 at the summit in Italian Naples. Russia was accepted to G8 as an equal partner only in 1997 at the summit in USA. As we can see, the way of Russian state to G8 was not so quick. How justified was this format? I will try to give an answer to this exhilarating question. After USA summit in 1997 G8 partners concluded that Russia had completed its democratic transformation. ^{^[1]}

We can point out that interaction of countries in the G8 format was productive. After Russia has joined the Group, members continued discussing critical world issues. G8 summits always cause a lot of protests, debates, demonstrations. Meetings always lasting no more than three days attract a lot of attention to its participants, Agenda, venue. But let us have a look of G8 Agendas.

Take an example of 28^th summit. It was conducted in Canadian resort town Kananaskis in June 2002.

Ø Issues raised:

· Security (results of work with terrorist campaigns, Afghanistan, Safety of cargo and passenger traffic)

· Economic growth (increasing of productivity in G8 countries)

· WTO

· Regional questions (India, Pakistan, Middle East)

· Africa (development of African continent, plan of GDP growth in the next 15 years, provision of free and quality primary education)

Ø Decisions and documents made:

· The Kananaskis Summit Chair’s Summary

· Statement by G7 Leaders: Delivering on the Promise of the Enhanced HIPC Initiative

· African Action Plan

· Global Partnership Against the Proliferation of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction

· Recognition of Russia as a full G8 member and the decision to hold a summit 2006 in Russia. Since then, Russia has hosted the summit after the UK and before Germany

· A New Focus on Education for All

· Cooperative G8 Action on Transport Security

· DOT Force Report Card: Digital Opportunities for All

The 2006 G8 Summit was the first time that Russia served as host. The issues of energy, security, education and health/infectious diseases were the three top Agenda items. The raised concerns in trade circles that trade will not be a priority issue. Additionally, given that Russia was not yet a member of the WTO, nor a member of the G7 that traditionally discusses trade prior to the G8 summits, there was doubt that the St. Petersburg Summit was able to produce effective leadership in trade through the agreement of strong commitments. However, Russia was in the final stages of accession talks with WTO members and was expected to join the WTO no later than the end of 2006, thus increasing the relevance of WTO issues. To their credit the Russians hosts, including President Vladimir Putin, offered reassurance that trade was discussed during their chairmanship. [2]

After the G8 summit has finished, leaders of countries thanked our President and All Russians for wonderful organization. Prime minister of the UK Tony Blair said that all was organized on a high level. According to his opinion, Russia is well-presided over the G8. According to Russian President, representatives of G8 have been able to agree on approaches to raised issues.

After success of the 2006 G8 summit and other seven summits for Russian Federation equal partnership of G7 and Russia was over. To be more specific, the 2^nd summit that Russia should have served as host had been planned in Sochi in June 2014. Dmitriy Medvedev claimed that G8 partners should have seen Russian best opportunities for world of technologies and other spheres – the 2014 G8 summit should have taken place in Skolkovo center – its Russian Silicon Valley. But infrastructure for the forum was not ready for it. Then there was a decision to conduct it in Sochi. Southern city of Olympic games has been transformed; a lot of money was allocated to improve city’s infrastructure. However, conflict on the grounds of annexation of Crimea caused unexpected consequences for our country – members of the G8 have decided to conduct the 2014 forum without Russia as a participant and even a guest. The reason was gross violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity by the Russian Federation. It was considered to be sanction pressure of Eastern countries against Russia.

The last G8 summit that Russia visited has taken place in Irish city called Enniskillen in June 2013. The main topics were related to nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea, conflicts in Syria. In particular, the leaders of the G8 managed to reach a relative consensus on the situation in Syria. A program has been proposed to increase diplomatic pressure on both sides of the conflict.

The 2020 meeting of G7 ministers of foreign affairs that should have been held in Pittsburgh (USA) on March was organized via video conference. The reason for this is spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Besides, leaders of countries were to work on economic and financial measures on fighting with COVID-19. We may see how COVID-19 affected such countries as USA that now has the highest infection rate, Italy, Spain, others. Our usual reality has changed, it has led to fatal consequences: level of death, number of infected, vaccine absence, economic crisis, a lot of people became unemployed and do not have enough money to maintain themselves. It became obvious that General secretary of UN made a decision to stop all meetings and events in headquarter of UN in New-York till the end of April.

Not long before the situation, in 2019, the President of USA spoke in favour of resuming G8 format. President of France and he were sure to see Russia as a participant at the 2020 summit. At the previous 2019 summit in France Donald Trump officially stated the proposal about Russian participation in G7/8. However, he made an amendment later that it will not be a Russian return – our country will participate as a guest.

Another source of information claimed that at first President of France wanted to bring Russia back into elite political club of leaders. During the meeting of Emmanuel Macron with Vladimir Putin they raised the question of Ukraine, however, President of France stressed that it is unreasonable to discuss it out of the G8 format.

Picture 1. G7 or 8? Photo is presented by Ria.ru

Frankly speaking, Russia holds a low-key position concerning participation in G8. In 2016 Head of Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov claimed that Russia does not “stick” to the G7/8 format. Then Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Ryabkov also noted that Russian participation in the Group was irrelevant. In 2018 the Head of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs said that Russia should have put its own return rules such as cancellation of sanctions and respect of joint interests.

Maybe that reaction was the answer to G7/8 leaders that excluded Russia from the forum. However, it is important to say that there were a lot of talks around reasons for participating in the Group. Since even the year of 2009 political scientists have raised that question. [3]

Experts continue arguing that this format is very limited, G7/8 does not take into account positions of countries that increase their impact on the global economy such as China, India, etc. On Russian Presidential Press-secretary’s opinion, discussion of global problems in geopolitics, security or economy becomes more relevant in the format of G20. ^{^[4]}

Exclusion of Russia from the Group has been occurred on the wave of increased pressure on other sides – propaganda of Russophobia, sanctions, fake business, criticism of Moscow politics. However, Russia has managed to adapt and activate taking part in other formats – BRICS, SCO, G20 and OPEC+. [5]

All this thing around such clubs is only image story. In my opinion it has minimum impact on economic and political components of participating countries. However, it is worth saying that after all G7 is more political story. It means that leaders are more likely to seek to decide the fate of the world than to solve actual problems. The G20 format is more likely to solve economic problems because of many bilateral trade treaties.

To sum everything up, the only advantage in exclusion of Russia from the Group is no extra spending on meetings. However, I think that Trump’s statements should not be treated with a great enthusiasm because it was not the first time when the President of USA spoke about the need to return Russia to the Group. It is also important to say that Russia supports any non-military forms of partnership and cooperation, calls on all countries not to join military units, but solve all problems using political approach through dialogues and agreements.

References:

1. Ria-news: history of launch. Available at: https://ria.ru/20130614/943202127.html

2. Heidi Ullrich. Explaining G7/8 Multilateral Trade Commitments: Is the G7/8 still relevant? March 22 – March 25, 2006. San Diego, CA

3. Echo: G7 and G8 formats are going into the history. Available at: https://echo.msk.ru/blog/rpgrpgs/1564224-echo/

4. TASS: the history of Russia and G7. Available at: https://tass.ru/info/6792142

5. Rambler: Russian benefits from returning to the Group of Seven. Available at:https://news.rambler.ru/politics/42698005/?utm_content=news_media&utm_medium=read_more&utm_source=copylink

[1] Ria-news: history of launch. Available at: https://ria.ru/20130614/943202127.html

[2] Heidi Ullrich. Explaining G7/8 Multilateral Trade Commitments: Is the G7/8 still relevant? March 22 – March 25, 2006. San Diego, CA

^{^[3]}Echo: G7 and G8 formats are going into the history. Available at: https://echo.msk.ru/blog/rpgrpgs/1564224-echo/

^{^[4]} TASS: the history of Russia and G7. Available at: https://tass.ru/info/6792142

^{^[5]}Rambler: Russian benefits from returning to the Group of Seven. Available at: https://news.rambler.ru/politics/42698005/?utm_content=news_media&utm_medium=read_more&utm_source=copylink