Russia and the EU: pragmatism as the basis of humanitarian cooperation

Europe has traditionally been considered a close partner of Russia. Importance for Russia partnership with the European Union was once again confirmed after the presidential elections in Russia. According to the Presidential Decree of May 7, 2012 N 605 " On measures to implement the foreign policy of the Russian Federation", in which considerable attention is paid to issues of relations with the EU. The main tasks of the Russian foreign policy in relations with the European Union are: • strategic objective - creating a common economic and human space from the Atlantic to the Pacific; • Agreement with the EU to abolish visas for short-term mutual trips of citizens , upholding the principles of equality and mutual benefit in the work on a new basic agreement between Russia and the EU strategic partnership; • contribute to the effective implementation of the program "Partnership for Modernization"; • development of mutually beneficial energy partnerships in order to create a single European energy sector , ensuring strict compliance with existing bilateral and multilateral treaty obligations ( Presidential Decree of May 7, 2012 N 605).Despite the challenges in overcoming the current political, socio- economic and financial crisis in the EU Member States , as well as problems of visa-free regime between Russia and the European Union , the inhibitory contacts between the citizens of these countries , further cooperation will only strengthen. Cooperation in scientific and technological sphere November 25, 2013 the grand opening of the Year of Science Russia - EU in 2014 . The initiators of the Year of Science by the Ministry of Education and Science (Dmitry Livanov, Minister of Education & Science, the Russian Federation) and the European Commission on the basis of the agreements reached in December 2012. The purpose of this global initiative is to create conditions to increase the capacity of scientific and technological cooperation and further strengthen humanitarian cooperation between Russia and Europe. In turn, in 2014 begins to operate a new framework for the European Union's scientific and technological development and innovation "Horizon 2020 » (Horizon 2020 - The Framework Programme for Research and Innovation). One of the objectives of the future program is to expand the participation of certain categories of organizations (eg SMEs) and research groups (including scientists from third countries ). "Horizon 2020" will bring scientific discoveries to market needs in innovative products and services, and will also help in finding answers to global challenges. Thus, in accordance with the program "Horizon 2020", one of the objectives of the European Union is to support small and medium enterprises in the field of science and innovation. Currently, Russia is not fully ready for full participation in European programs for the innovative nature of such categories of organizations. The reason – insufficient number of high-tech small and medium-sized businesses. According to a member of the European Commission, the European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, The Year of Science Russia - EU - a great chance to look into the future and update the scientific relationships, making existing backlogs full cooperation in a strategic partnership based on mutual trust and respect. European Commissioner noted that Russia has become the most active international partner for the EU in an appropriate end to the EU Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7), not only in the number of Russian organizations involved, and amount of funding received. The percentage of Russian participants in FP7 - is primarily research organizations ( 46.22 % ), the second place is occupied by universities ( 30.89 %). Completing the top three private companies - 18.36 %. The most active interaction of Russian scientists under FP7 established with colleagues from Germany, France and the UK. Cooperation in education The aim of EU-Russia cooperation in the field of education is the creation of a common space of higher education, especially the creation of an open and integrated market between education Russia and the EU. The benefits of such integration: • providing large-scale mobility of students, graduates, teachers; • exchange of ideas, practices of learning, teaching, organization of universities; • sharing experiences of higher education institutions of the European Union and Russia; • establishing partnerships, at both the institutional and the personal level between EU and Russia. In this regard, Russia has fully joined the Bologna Process in 2003. Today cooperation in education is the most effective aspect of Russian-European cultural cooperation. Benefits of such cooperation for the EU Member States - to attract the most successful students from Russia and increase the prestige of European higher education by increasing the number of foreign students. For the Russian side - an opportunity to give a new impetus to the modernization of higher education , as well as provide additional opportunities for the participation of Russian universities in projects funded by the European Commission. Thus, the formation of the most effective forms of cooperation and integration between Russian and European organizations as equal partners in the humanitarian fields is possible only on the principles of pragmatism in terms of mutual benefit and interest of both parties