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and modernise our social sphere. And we are not going to miss this chance. Russia should come out of this crisis
renewed, more powerful and more competitive.
Now I’d like to say a few words about problems that are not specifically economic—and yet, they are
quite urgent under current conditions.
Unfortunately, more and more often we hear that increasing military spending will help solve today’s
social and economic problems. The logic here is quite simple. Additional allocations for military needs create
new jobs.
For reference:
The growth of military spending:
USA—$529 billion in 2006, $555 billion in 2007, and $583 billion in 2008. Experts expect $606 billion
in 2009.
Great Britain—£27 billion in 2006, £31 billion in 2007, £34 billion in 2008, and £35.2 billion planned for
2009.
Germany—€23 billion in 2006, €24 billion in 2007, and €25 billion in 2008.
China—$38 billion in 2006, $44 billion in 2007, $58 billion in 2008, and a 17% increase in 2009 (around
$66 billion).
Georgia (according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute)—$49 million in 2002, $80
million in 2004, $362 million in 2006, $592 million in 2007, and $1.104 billion in 2008.
At a glance, it seems to be merely a method to fight the crisis and unemployment. Perhaps, in the short
run, such a measure may yield some results. But in reality, instead of solving the problem, militarisation pushes
it to a deeper level. It draws away from the economy immense financial and material resources, which could
have been used much more efficiently elsewhere.
I am confident that if we limit our military spending, at the same time strengthening global stability and
security, this will definitely produce serious economic dividends as well.
I hope this point of view will prevail in the world. On our side, we are ready to work actively in the
sphere of disarmament.
I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that the economic crisis may aggravate the negative
tendencies that are present in global politics. The world has recently been confronted with an unparalleled
growth of aggressive manifestations—Georgia’s adventure in the Caucasus, terrorist acts in India and the
escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip. On the face of it, these events are not directly related, but their
development reveals some common aspects.
It is above all the inability of existing international structures to offer constructive resolutions to regional
conflicts and work towards achieving positive results in settling inter-ethnic and interstate contradictions.
Essentially, multilateral political mechanisms have yielded as little effect as the institutions of financial and
economic regulation.
Let us be frank: provoking military-political instability and other regional conflicts is also a convenient
way of deflecting people’s attention from mounting social and economic problems. Regrettably, further attempts
of this kind cannot be ruled out.
We will have to make the system of international relations much more effective, more secure and stable if
we are to prevent this course of events.
There are quite a few pressing issues on the global agenda where the interests of the majority of countries
objectively concur. These include the need to overcome the world economic crisis, joint efforts to reform
international financial institutions, improve mechanisms of regulation and achieve reliable security in the sphere
of energy and diffuse the world’s food crisis, something that has not yet receded into the background.
Russia is ready to make its contribution to the solution of top-priority tasks confronting the international
community. We hope that all of our partners in Europe, Asia, America and elsewhere – I also have in mind the
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