Multipolar world possible on basis of mutual respect of national interests — Medvedev

Dmitry Medvedev

BELGRADE, October 20. /TASS/: For today, a multipolar world is possible if countries respect each other’s national interests, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in his address to the Serbian parliament on Saturday.

"For today, only a multipolar world can be fair. And it is possible on the basis of respect of national interests, on the basis of non-interference into internal affairs," he said.

"Equal relations, mutually beneficial relations help to solve common tasks, respond to common challenges that pose a threat to all of us, and to search for conditions for full-scale and long-term development of our nations," Medvedev continued. "This is why we and our partners have been building the Eurasian Economic Union."

"At some point, national and cultural revival of a number of nations - of nearly all nations, to put it straight - has made the decisive contribution into the common process of democratization of bilateral relations. In fact, this is when the international law appeared, when states began to develop as independent, as sovereign entities, when nations became aware of their right for sovereignty, for independent development," he added.

"By the way, during a certain period, Belgrade spearheaded those processes and played a major role in the non-aligned movement," Medvedev said. "This is an important historical heritage, which must be taken into account at present, too."

According to Medvedev, stronger national sovereignty does not contradict the globalization model. 

"Strengthening of sovereign states’ position, defending national interests in global affairs does not contradict the model of globalization, of open society," he said.

"At the same time, distinctiveness, nations’ knowledge of their roots remain the foundation for any statehood, including, evidently, the Serbian one and the Russian one, no matter how hard others are trying to prove the opposite to us," the premier added.