[Deb Palmieri on Russia Table of Contents] The following article was published in the Russian Commerce News, March-April-May 2001. The Russian Commerce News is the official publication of The Russian-American Chamber of Commerce®. |
It is not a particularly easy time in U.S.-Russia relations.
We've had lots of challenges in recent years, not to mention recent months.
But, really, there is no reason we cannot get our bilateral relationship
back on track, with a focus on more realistic expectations, a mutually agreed
upon agenda of priorities and a commitment to work together to resolve differences
and set a new standard for a model of turning a difficult set of circumstances
into ones more optimal.
There are many ways that relations between the U.S. and Russia can succeed. But I have identified only my top ten recommendations for how to almost guarantee that regardless of national differences; regardless of power asymmetries, varying political and national priorities and hot-button tension spots, personality differences and so on - in spite of all of the above, we can craft a pragmatic and healthy relationship to kick into the 21st century.
It's all pretty basic, as you will see. First, is to start with communication. All good things start with the simple act of communication. A meeting, a phone call, a courtesy letter - it breaks down barriers and creates understanding and empathy of one side for the other. Second, believe in the virtues of respect and courtesy. Treat others as you would like to be treated. Refrain from impulses of control, drive for superiority, the need to exert ego identities and a philosophy of a zero sum game. Third, agree to disagree. If we expect to change minds on fundamental issues, we can expect failure, because it will never happen. Differences will remain, we just need to learn how to work around them and coexist in an environment that permits, and even expects, that different countries will always have different wants and needs. Even in a marriage, two people learn to disagree and make it work. The cost of zero sum game thinking in international politics is high. In a marriage, when things simply cannot be worked out, parties divorce. In diplomacy, fundamentally incompatible thinking leads countries to war, high stakes conflict and other counterproductive outcomes.
That leads me to my fourth point, which is to understand the high cost and consequences of conflict and confrontation. Arms races cost a lot. People die in wars. Families sacrifice loved ones. Economic costs of conflict can break the backs of countries involved. Just look at what war has done to countries like Japan, China, the Soviet Union (and Russia before and after it), and others. Fifth, adjust expectations and avoid extremes in thinking. Lowered expectations lead to fewer disappointments, whereby high expectations lead to great disappointments. We learned this in U.S.-Russian relations during the nineties. Sixth, let's make conflict management a priority. We need better theoretical constructs and intellectual creativity to find enhanced ways to deal with differences. We need a paradigm shift away from old models of the past, replacing them with state-of-the-art models.
My seventh point emphasizes the importance of defining national interests in a global context. Countries can no longer afford to operate in a vacuum, or without understanding contextual factors that define their role in a broader environment. Eighth, understand that people are people, that senior decision makers and diplomats are people, and that means they have feelings. So, policies of exclusion, standoffishness and negativity lead to ill will, hurting people's feelings and almost always making matters worse. Ninth, realize that human history demonstrates that joint efforts towards wealth creation and economic development are superior to war and conflict and the destruction and economic and human loss that ensue. And finally tenth, for heaven's sake, focus on the future rather than the past, and move beyond the daily distractions and the static electricity of day-to-day events.
The aforementioned recommendations apply to both sides. A commitment to work towards commonality and a belief in the importance of the short and long-range success of U.S.-Russian relations will reap great rewards and a wonderful sense of achievement that one and all can enjoy.r
Deborah Anne Palmieri
Russian Commerce News, March-April-May 2001
Copyright 2001 The Russian-American Chamber of Commerce®