1% OF RUSSIANS EYE ARMENIA AS RUSSIA’S FRIEND DURING NEXT 10-15 YEARS

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.09.2007 15:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM)
presented information concerning the countries with which Russia will
have the friendliest relations and with which it will be on the most
inimical terms.

Armenia is absent from the list of Russia’s potential enemies,
although only 1% of Russians eye Armenia as Russia’s friend during
next 10-15 years.

21% of respondents assume that Russia will be on best terms with
China within the next 10 to 15 years; and only 3% consider that
the relations with this country will be inimical or strained. 12%
of respondents name Belorussia and Germany among the friendliest
states; 2% of respondents provide a negative forecast in regard to
Belorussia, less than 1% think negatively of Germany. Besides Germany,
Russians also distinguish France (+6%, -1%) among the countries that
are members of the European Union. 6% of respondents mention India
as one of the most friendly countries of the next decade, another 6%
mention Kazakhstan in this respect (there are practically no negative
forecasts).

The U.S. mostly evokes negative expectations: although 10% rely on
friendship of this country with Russia, nevertheless, those, who
assume that the relations between these two countries will rather be
hostile or strained, are far more numerous (24%). Georgia occupies
the second place in the negative list: 19% of respondents mention it
as a potential enemy to Russia (whereas only 1% of respondents expect
positive development of relations to take place). Forecasts as far as
the Baltic countries are concerned are also rather negative (+1%, -7%).

The views of Russians on Ukraine were nearly equally divided (+6%,
-7%). Positive forecasts in respect to Russia’s relations with Japan
are a little more numerous (+7%, -3%), Great Britain was more likely
to be treated negatively (+3%, -7%).

As a rule, more attention in Russia’s different federal districts is
given to their immediate neighbors. Thus, in the Southern district,
hopes that relations between Russia and Ukraine as its immediate
neighbor will become friendlier are more frequently expressed
than it generally is in Russia on average (11% in the district,
6% average in the country). 29% of respondents in the Far-Eastern
district provide positive forecasts in connection with China, cf.:
21% on average in the country. 21% of respondents in the North Western
region identify Germany as a friendly country, whereas 12% on average
in the country do.

On the whole, expectations that Russia’s relations with other countries
in 10-15 years will be friendly are more typical than forecasts that
these relations will be hostile.

Among international organizations the most important world role in
the next 5-10 years will be played by the European Union (as 32%
of respondents assume), the "Great Eight" and NATO (28-29%). OPEC,
WTO, United Nations Organization and UNESCO are considered to be the
most influential organizations a little less often (13-17%). The role
of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), of the Pacific Forum;
the Commonwealth of the independent states (CIS), the Union of Russia
and Belorussia, and the also International Olympic Committee seem to
respondents to be still less important (5-8%).

The All-Russia opinion poll was conducted by VCIOM on August 25-26,
2007. 1600 respondents were interviewed in 153 population areas of
46 regions of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 3.4%.