Last week marked a sharp acceleration in the information activity Rosostrudnichestva in Russia. Guide the agency is trying to prove the media, the expert community and most importantly the political leadership of the country its relevance and effectiveness is largely a response to growing criticism of the agency by the State Duma (the report of the Federal Agency is scheduled for November 1 and promises to be extremely difficult, the deputies are going to raise a lot of unpleasant questions about the results of Rossotrudnichestvo) and the Russian presidential administration. In the expert and journalism Rossotrudnichestvo increasingly referred to as “the agency missed opportunities.”

Indeed, none of the tasks set by President Dmitry Medvedev when creating agency responsible for coordinating the efforts of Russian in the CIS has failed. Rossotrudnichestvo can not refer to a lack of funding – only in 2011 its budget was increased by 35 percent and reached $ 2 billion. Also, the Federal agency were provided with all necessary authority to coordinate the Russian policy in the CIS structures.

Not to be unfounded, it is necessary to turn to the facts.

Russian humanitarian presence in the CIS space is not only not increased but has a constant downward trend. Usually, the agency leadership claims credit for the discovery of new scientific and cultural centers in the Commonwealth (RCSC), forgetting that the RCSC – it’s just Tools promotion of Russian humanitarian impact, otherwise they become very expensive and unnecessary infrastructure. Russia does not become a fashion brand for young people of the CIS countries, as Rossotrudnichestvo can not offer anything in the humanitarian sphere, that would be interested in future political elite of the Commonwealth.

Compared with Soviet times, and even recent times, the Russian has plummeted professional level of many employees RCSC, as professional qualities had long been a criterion of appointment to the RCSC (many employees often do not have professional education and are appointed on the basis of personal loyalty to the leadership of the agency).

Completely absent analysis of the development of civil society in countries of the Commonwealth to identify potentially allied Russian organizations. As a consequence – Rossotrudnichestvo can not provide an adequate supply Russia’s political leadership to strengthen the humanitarian impact of the Russian and building relations with civil society institutions in the CIS countries.

This fact is particularly alarming because the American USAID, the organization’s “soft power” of the EU are due to systematic analysis to successfully promote their interests in the former Soviet Union, especially Ukraine.

Since the beginning of Poland’s EU presidency is expected to resuscitation of the project “Eastern Partnership”, first of all, its humanitarian component.

Do not forget that all the “color revolutions” in former Soviet Union (Georgia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan) was preceded by a humanitarian expansion of the West, which aimed to create for the citizens of these countries (especially for the young and economically active population) values, by definition, incompatible with the “grim Soviet legacy,” and pro-Russian orientation in any form.

In the Ukraine, now the main goal of Western institutions of “soft power” – preventing the accession of Kiev to the EurAsEC Customs Union, launched against the project a real information war with the active connection directly to the Ukrainian media and expert “independent” organizations.

The result is obvious – the supporters of Ukraine’s accession to the vehicle are in the minority in the media of a country (despite the fact that more than 60 percent of Ukrainians consistently advocated an economic union with Russia, there are serious economists at the National Academy of Sciences of the country, actively supporting the idea of ​​the Customs Union) .

Representation of the same Rossotrudnichestvo in Ukraine stubbornly pretending that the problems of economic integration to support the supporters simply do not exist, but its main efforts are spent on finding relationships with the organizations of compatriots. One gets the impression that the admission of the guests from Moscow – the main task of the RCSC. At least, such conclusions can be made when viewing the official site Rossotrudnichestvo.

Until recently, the emphasis on “the highest visits” to various RNTSK Sergei Mironov, the RCSC in Berlin, gave a presentation, even the biography of the former head of the Federation Council in German (as Boris Gryzlov, head of the State Duma during his foreign visits have always shied away from visits to the RCSC, in spite of insistent invitation of Rossotrudnichestvo).

On Russia’s humanitarian presence (or more precisely to the issue of his absence) is directly adjacent and the question of preservation of the Russian language in the CIS. Russia is losing once one of the main levers of influence on the countries of the Commonwealth in the humanitarian and educational spheres. In active life is a generation for whom the Russian language, alas, no longer foreign.

One of the problems Rossotrudnichestvo when creating a need to find new ways to promote the Russian language in post-Soviet space. However, the agency not only failed or did not want to look for new ways to promote the Russian language, but lost the tried and tested in the Soviet era of technology in teaching Russian as a foreign language through the Soviet / Russian cultural centers. In the autumn of 2010 the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meeting with head of Rossotrudnichestvo Farit Mukhametshin raised the issue of ineffective use of funds allocated to promote the Russian language abroad. Mukhametshin said then that it is a failure of the Ministry of Education and Science, but not led them to the agency.

A few weeks ago during a press conference in “Komsomolskaya Pravda” Rossotrudnichestvo leader said that the successful support of the Russian language abroad hampered by lack of legal basis. Like, the power of the CIS do not create conditions for the successful promotion of the Russian language. According to Russian tradition, the hardware – the main thing is not to show results, and refer to the objective reasons for the next failure.

But it seems that this evil tradition comes to an end – President Dmitry Medvedev at a meeting in celebration of Slavic culture and literature (it is noteworthy that the head Rossotrudnichestvo for this meeting was not invited) June 6 expressed the hope that the funds for the promotion of Russian language “will properly spent. “

Separately, they should stop the activities of the Federal Agency for the Protection of the interests of Russian compatriots. This work is simply not available, although it is allocated to the priorities of Rossotrudnichestvo. The issue of protecting the rights of Russian compatriots in fact was ignored by the manager and Rossotrudnichestvo during a press conference in the “KP”.

The federal agency can not cite a single example of effective assistance who are in a difficult situation compatriots to such treatment is followed by an empty replies. It is no coincidence, President Medvedev has created a new, separate fund to protect the rights of compatriots living abroad. Function (respectively, and funding) on ​​the legal protection of Russian compatriots are transferred from the Foreign Ministry and Rossotrudnichestvo separate fund. This is an unambiguous assessment of Roscotrudnichestva in this area – the agency does not have coped with the assigned duties.

Unfortunately, the issues of additional funding from the federal budget became a priority for the agency. To justify this funding put forward a variety of sometimes very strange project.

Deputy Head of Rossotrudnichestvo Igor Morozov from the summer of 2009 has been actively promoting the idea of ​​the reorientation of financial flows ($ 800 million annually) allocated to Russia under the UN program to support the poorest countries (the money goes mainly due to debt write-off) for projects under the auspices of Rossotrudnichestvo CIS countries. Besides the fact that the proposed projects (including the already well-known project “School lunch programs”) do not pass any examination, the failure of Russia of its obligations under the UN could lead to a loss of influence in this organization, which is absolutely unacceptable for the country – a permanent member of UN Security Council .

To the credit profile of the State Duma should be noted that, despite exerted serious pressure on him (the question was put three times), he refused to initiate a parliamentary hearing in support of this dubious undertaking Rossotrudnichestvo.

A year ago the leadership of the Federal Agency was trying to draw attention to his idea of ​​creating centers of innovation in the RCSC cooperation. The pilot project was launched (it has been allocated under the additional financing) in Yerevan. Now, because of the lack of any progress on this initiative, federal agency says no more.

Very strange and was promoted by Rossotrudnichestvo proposal on the restoration of the RCSC in Afghanistan, Kabul. Only the development of design estimates for 2011 from the federal budget planned to seek $ 3 million!

I think it is not necessary to recall that even now a NATO coalition forces can not ensure the security of their countries and representatives of UN agencies, and in case of withdrawal of coalition troops from Afghanistan, the situation will be just out of control. What guided the federal agency in preparing the proposal for reconstruction of the RCSC is a mystery.

Unfortunately, these initiatives seriously discredit the leadership Rosstrudnichestva Russia’s position in the Commonwealth, since it seems that for some officials of the agency Rossotrudnichestvo is a way of “feeding” (by analogy with the medieval principality of Moscow, when the entire county could be given “to feed” any Boyar), the same questions of the Russian presence in the CIS, at best, secondary.

All these factors inevitably generate spawn and will be wary of our partners in the CIS to anyone (even the best), the Russian proposals.

It is no coincidence that all nations of the CIS have insisted on the assumption that the implementation of projects under the proposed program of innovation co-operation in the Commonwealth until 2020 will be held in the framework of existing institutions of the EurAsEC and the CIS (Rossotrudnichestvo leadership insisted on the creation of a separate fund or management company, which would dispose of the funds).

Rossotrudnichestvo belongs to a very large number of real estate abroad. The federal agency has steadfastly refused to transfer the balance of foreign real estate Ministry of State Property, explaining the specifics of their work. Also no secret that quite a number of rooms for rent (in the first place, it concerns the RCSC in Berlin, which allowed the German court to question the extraterritoriality of the Russian Cultural Centre). There is no evidence, how to use funds from the rental of premises. In general the situation of financial openness Rosostrudnichestva simply intolerable – in violation of the law on the official website of the Federal Agency is no information on the budget.

No country can afford to have such a number of property produced for decades, used so effectively and transparently.

Apparently, all of these problems will have to decide the new leadership has Rossotrudnichestvo (provided that the Federal agency will remain in its previous form) – in January 2012 to the current head of Rossotrudnichestvo Farid Mukhametshin age 65 and under the law “On civil service”, he will have to leave post (Head of the Federal agency does not apply to public positions to fill are not subject to age restrictions).

Perhaps to be productive suggestion that the new leader should be no Rossotrudnichestvo protege Ministry of Foreign Affairs (this will allow the Federal agency to conduct a more independent policy), as representative of the scientific environment, professionally engaged in issues of post-Soviet space.