Abstract
The study "The international position of Russia and the country's development till 2020 with a prognosis till 2050" is based on the fact that Russia is currently making a "comeback" as one of strong international actors co-determining the global political agenda. This trend comes 15 years after the collapse of the USSR, which marked the beginning of the political and economic turmoil of the 1990s.
The country gradually emerges from the period of instability, especially owing to six factors whose potential the current political leadership tries to exploit to the full (substantial mineral resources, particularly of oil and gas, significant military power, based on the second greatest nuclear potential, a relatively well-educated productive segment of the population, a high-quality scientific and technological base still surviving in a number of industries, permanent membership in the UN Security Council and the G8 group, important political and economic influence still exercised on the territory of the former Soviet Union). The study concludes that, till 2020 at least, Russia will remain a major international actor, on a level with the US, European Union, China and Islamic cultures.
Its resources and capabilities may allow it to follow an independent line in foreign policy and security interests, both in the post-Soviet region and in some key areas of the world: Europe, Asia and the "greater Middle East". However, its interests will inevitably clash with those of other major actors - especially the U.S.
Russia's internal stability and international standing can be endangered by the country's possible failure to solve two of its essential problems: diversification and modernization of the economy and the threatening demographic collapse.