The Republic of Tatarstan in the Foreign Policy of Russia: From Claims on Sovereignty to Participation in the Promotion of National Interests

Abstract

Introduction. The article analyzes the processes of transformation in the attitude of Russian regions toward international activities since the early 1990s. The study is based on the experience of the Republic of Tatarstan, in which the evolution of understanding the status and competencies of the federation subunits in the field of international activity took place in the midst of the complex internal political processes of the Russian statehood formation. Methods and materials. The paper uses a historical-system method and a political-scientific institutional approach to study the processes of the development of external relations in Tatarstan. It describes how the republic has played a part in the establishment of a contemporary model of international cooperation by Russian regions. The functional method is used for analyzing the interrelations that underlie goal-setting in the activities of regional authorities. Scientific works by domestic and foreign authors are used to form the analytical and conceptual tools of the research as well as to understand the regional level of international relations. Analysis. The first stages of the development of external relations for the Republic of Tatarstan took place in the context of the inclusion of the region into a renewed Russian state as a full-fledged subject of constitutional and legal relations. This occurred against the backdrop of the rapid growth of the ethno-nationalist Tatar movement. Emerging interaction with state authorities promotes the use of regional potential in the field of international activity for the implementation of certain areas of Russian foreign policy. Results. The practice of Tatarstan’s cooperation with international actors of various statuses and the creation of institutional, contractual, and legal foundations of external relations led to an understanding of the need for support from federal authorities for the effective use of external resources for the regions’ development. The experience of the Republic of Tatarstan, which, together with the whole country, went through successive stages of building federal relations and creating a modern model of international and interregional cooperation among Russian regions, confirms the conclusion that constructive interaction with the federal center is the basis for successful implementation of national and regional interests in the field of international cooperation in a dynamically changing foreign policy and foreign economic conditions. This is of particular importance in view of the ongoing attempts to undermine the unity of Russia from outside.