Russia in the modern day has taken steps to go its own way within a geopolitical world with making the Eurasian Economic Union, securing rights and protections for Russian people who fall outside their borders example Crimea (Ukraine) and Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan). This has all been part of their idea of foreign policy which has been stated as Neo-Eurasianism.
What is Neo-Eurasianism? It is a set Russian idea which came in late 1980 and early 90’s with the goal of making Eastern Slavic groups more tied to Asia than Western Europe. The main goal of the idea was to replace Russia as a political, cultural and economic centre of Eastern Europe, Northern/Central Asia, after the fall of the Soviet Union.
The modern use of this idea of foreign policy is to make countries be part of Russian geopolitical pack; the first example of this idea being used is with Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The EAEU has integrated all of its member states into a single market allowing for the freedom of goods and services to go across member states. It has also created an economic centre for all these countries with Moscow by making it an administrative centre. This made all member states work closer with Russia to ensure stable economic growth. This action done by agreement of all member state of EAEU has made Russia become the gatekeeper/head of the EAEU new single market.
The second policy is with cultural factors – Russia see many country’s as part of its Eurasian sphere of influence. To ensure closer tie between them self’s and these country’s it has encouraged and supported in using the Russian language and Cyrillic script for their own languages. This is part of Russia’s policy to make all countries in its own sphere to keep the countries tied with Russia in a cultural way through a linguistic connection .
Continuing with cultural policy’s, Russia has become one of the biggest financial backer for many country’s projects/programs ranging from music art, educating, sport programs and even to providing funding for cultural cites. This has allowed Russian government to influence the areas of culture in other nation. these policy’s have stated goal to make there people see Russia as friend or even small part of there own nations culture.
The other way Russia has tried to use culture to tie countries to the Eurasian idea is by prompting Northern Orthodox Christianity and Northern Orthodox versions of Islam. The use of religion has been used to influence the values of the people of these countries. with the Orthodox church having it values evolve with Russian history so the theory of encouraging it growth with in the Eurasian country’s allows for cultural bonds to strengthen between Russia and target country’s. Same idea go with the Orthodox influence version of Islam is similar by promoting more Russian value than middle eastern values. This has been done by having most of the Islamic sect with in these country’s having there main grand mosque base in Moscow rather than Saudi Arabia or there own country. this has lead to these sect beaning cut of from middle east in many ways and created a greater tie for the central Asian country’s to Russian state.
Then third policy come from the Neo-Eurasianism Think is information control were Russia has invest large amount of money in information campaigns and control of news casts station like Russian television RT. the goal of this policy is to spread information to make people think more line with Russia or to spread information to cause mistrust between people and governments to have internal chaos effect on country’s.
All the policy’s are part of Russian Neo-Eurasianism idea to create a power base for Russian nation. By making nation in region cooperate with Russian government for for economic growth. while also allowing Russia to influence and direct cultural factors in there own country’s has allowed Russia to cut these country off from over power base. This has help secure Russia place as cultural economic and political center of the Eurasian pack.
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