YAROSLAVL, September 14 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday that the idea of global dominance must be abandoned in world politics, and more intelligent policies adopted.
Speaking at an international security conference in the Volga city of Yaroslavl, Medvedev said: "Smart, efficient policies and state pragmatism must eliminate all irrational things from the political sphere - a dangerous illusion of nationalism and archaic superstitions of class struggle on the one hand, and utopian projects of global dominance... high-flown phrases justifying military aggression, and clampdowns on rights and freedoms on the other hand."
The president also acknowledged nations' right to criticize each other's foreign and domestic policies, a view that comes as a contrast to Russia's angry reactions to Western criticism under Medvedev's predecessor, Vladimir Putin.
He said criticism was necessary to deter international conflicts, economic crises, pandemics, and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.
"Incompetence, and sometimes the unwillingness of a government to tackle problems, damage its own country, and the inefficiency of state institutions contribute to international conflicts," Medvedev said.
The president called for common "standards" in such issues, but warned against enforcing them on any state, saying such standards "should not be used to create isolated, non-transparent political regimes."
He also said he would pursue a new European security pact, which he proposed last year.
"We look forward to substantive dialogue with our partners in Europe, and will continue to promote our proposals, and clarify our position," Medvedev told the forum.
The Russian leader also urged for new financial supervision measures to prevent the current economic downturn from recurring in two or three years.
Medvedev, who turns 44 today, also held separate meetings with French Prime Minister Francois Fillon and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, on the sidelines of the conference.
The conference, entitled The Modern State and Global Security, is planned as an annual event.
