Enticing Mr Ban
// Russia to boost its investments in the UN
Today UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrives in Moscow for his first official visit to Russia, whose government has been truly displeased with his position and recent pro-American statements in particular. During this visit the incumbent president Vladimir Putin and the newly elected president Dmitry Medvedev will try to entice away Mr Ban. Among other things, he will be offered a boost of Russia’s investments in the UN.
From America with love
Mr Ban Ki-moon’s current visit to Moscow is the first one since becoming UN Secretary-General. Last time he visited Russia as “elected Secretary-General” – before assuming office. The ex-Foreign Secretary of South Korea came to Moscow to express his gratitude for Russia’s support of his nomination. This time it won’t be that pleasant for Mr Ban and Russian officials to talk.
It took Mr Ban only three months and a half to have frustrated Moscow more than once. For instance, Russia was utterly dissatisfied with Secretary-General’s stance on the Kosovo issue. In Moscow’s opinion, after the Kosovo government proclaimed the independence of the region, Secretary-General or his representative in Kosovo were to declare the self-appointment invalid and illegal according to the UN Security Council Resolution 1244. But Mr Ban reckoned that that the Resolution didn’t bind him to act that way and preferred to abstain from doing anything. It need be added that trying to avoid the charges Russia might bring, he later said that the UN Mission in Kosovo was still in full control of the region, as the 1244 Resolution reads.
Mr Ban’s statements regarding Abkhazia displeased Moscow too. On Monday Mr Ban said that he shared the concern of the Georgian government, which had repeatedly expressed its criticism of Russia’s peace-keepers in Abkhazia. “I know the position of the Georgian government on the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) peace-keeping mission. I would appreciate it if a peace-keeping mission of any kind first gained the support and confidence of all parties involved.” This statement followed the publishing of Secretary-General’s report on the situation in the region of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict. The report highly estimated the CIS peace-keeping mission. That’s why in Moscow such an unexpected change of Mr Ban’s sentiment was rendered obeisance to the USA.
Finally, Mr Ban’s making a love declaration to America has recently caused a sensation. Speaking at the George Bush Presidential Library, Texas at the end of February, Mr Ban said “In my viewpoint, the world needs the USA to lead it. Little can be achieved without it. The UN has no better friend than America.” Talking about his affection towards the USA, Mr Ban said “As a little boy growing in South Korea, I was inspired with America and its high ideals. American soldiers saved my country from the communist aggression. They were so kind and generous to me.”
Such statements of Secretary-General could not but frustrate Moscow. The thing is that in the framework of the fight against the unipolar world the Kremlin has promoted, the UN impact is supposed to grow, with this organization taking on the leading role in addressing crucial international problems. At that, Secretary-General’s pro-American position doesn’t allow Moscow to use the UN as its ally in confronting Washington.
From Moscow with money
To challenge the USA in luring Secretary-General, Moscow decided to show its generosity as well. According to the sources of Ú, the first negotiations of Mr Ban in Moscow with the newly elected president Dmitry Medvedev will feature this very issue.
Also according to the sources of Ú, Mr Medvedev is going to tell Mr Ban that Russia pledges to take extensive responsibility for the UN activities and become one of the key investors of this organization.
So far Russia’s contribution to the regular UN budget is not that high – it is 1.2% of the overall budget in 2008–2009, which amounts to $21 mln. Russia falls behind the 15 major sponsors of the UN, the G7 states together with Spain, China, Mexico, South Korea, the Netherlands, Australia, Switzerland and Brazil being on the top list. The US annual contribution has been evaluated 22%, or $500 mln.
Apart from the regular budget, there is a peacekeeping one in the UN, whose volume varies from year to year. The money invested in it is intended to help maintain peace in the hot spots of the world and provide aid to LDCs. At the end of the last year Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Alexander Yakovenko stated that Russia had provided as much as $80 to the UN peacekeeping budget and was planning to raise its contribution to $120. America’s payment is 10 times as high, but the declared sum is commensurable with the one of Great Britain and China.
Nevertheless according to the sources of Ú, during the negotiations of Dmitry Medvedev and Ban Ki-moon a new sum that Russia is ready to pay to strengthen the UN’s (and its own) position can be mentioned. The interlocutor of Ú means that Moscow believes it can provide $500 to the UN – as much as the USA contributes to the regular budget of the organization.
It’s not clear how this money can be allocated among the various agencies of the UN. According to officials with the Foreign Ministry Department of International Organizations, Russia will keep on paying its 1.2% to the regular budget this year and the next one. The overhaul of its quota is planned on 2010. More to the point, a very complicated scheme is used when calculating the final figure, account taken of the current GDP of the UN member-state. The Russian Foreign Ministry officials note that if Russia wants to pay more, no one will mind, because it will automatically decrease the quotas of the other countries.
Together to the Middle East
Mr Ban’s negotiations with Vladimir Putin tackling international politics will become the key point of Secretary-General’s visit. He will meet with Mr Putin right after the talks with Dmitry Medvedev.
The counterparts are sure to discuss the situation in Kosovo. Mr Ban though usually notices that the recognition of a new state is governments’ business, rather than the one of international organizations.
It’s vital for Moscow that Secretary-General support its plans to host the Middle East peace conference, which in the Kremlin’s view must help Russia regain its status of the key mediator in the conflict settlement. Arab states are known to welcome this idea, whereas Israel and the USA do not favour it, which is the reason why the possibility of holding the conference is questioned. For all that, one can reckon with Mr Ban’s assistance – Secretary-General said that he would surely take part in the Moscow conference if it was scheduled of course.
After all, Mr Putin can tell Mr Ban that the UN should play a more important role in Iraq and Afghanistan. For example, Russian diplomats deem that the UN Mission’s progress has been rather modest, even though the UN Security Council Resolution 1770 adopted as far back as in August, 2007 provided it with extended credentials. Regarding the Iraq issue, Moscow considers that all political actors including the adherents of the late Saddam Hussein must be involved in the conflict settling. In the Kremlin’s viewpoint, it is the UN, not the USA, that can provide for the inter-Iraqi dialogue.
With this said, the Russian officials will do their best to persuade Mr Ban to be more confident and to be less guided by Americans, even if they were “so kind and generous” as Secretary-General confessed. Mr Ban’s eagerness to follow Moscow depends on its ability to be just as kind and generous.
Zygar; Dmitry Gornostayev, special correspondent of RIAN, specially for Kommersant, NY
All the Article in Russian as of Apr. 09, 2008
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