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Russian Law Journal, 2021, том 9, № 4

научный журнал
Покупка
Артикул: 802064.0001.99
Russian Law Journal : научный журнал. - Москва : Деловой стиль, 2021. - Т. 9, № 4. - 175 с. - ISSN 2312-360S. - Текст : электронный. - URL: https://znanium.com/catalog/product/1989315 (дата обращения: 17.05.2024). – Режим доступа: по подписке.
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Volume IX (2021) Issue 4

International Editorial Council

Loïc Cadiet 
(University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne, France)

James KLeBBa 
(Loyola University, USA)

elisabetta SiLveStri 
(Pavia University, Italy)

albert HenKe 
(University of Milan, Italy)

vernon PaLmer 
(Tulane University, USA)

Janet WaLKer 
(Osgoode Hall Law School of York University, Canada)

teresa WamBier 
(Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, Brazil)

Francisco verBiC 
(National University of La Plata, Argentina)

iSSn 2309-8678
e-iSSn 2312-3605

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Sergey BeLov  
(St. Petersburg State University)
nataliya BoCHarova  
(Lomonosov Moscow State University)
Gleb BoGuSH  
(Higher School of Economics)
Gennady eSaKov  
(Higher School of Economics)
vladimir Gureev  
(All-Russian State University of Justice)
nikita Lyutov  
(Kutafin Moscow State Law Univeristy)
dmitry maLeSHin  
(Independent)
Sergey tretyaKov  
(Lomonosov Moscow State University)
alexander vereSHCHaGin 
(Independent)

Chief Editor dmitry maLeSHin

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all rights reserved. no part of this journal 
may be reproduced in any means without the 
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expressed in this issue are those of the authors 
and do not reflect the views of rLJ editorial 
Council and editorial Board.

RussIan Law JouRnaL (RLJ)

an independent, professional peer-reviewed academic legal journal. 

Aims and Scope

the Russian Law Journal is designed to encourage research especially in 
russian law and legal systems of the countries of eurasia. it covers recent legal 
developments in this region, but also those on an international and comparative 
level.

the rLJ is not sponsored or affiliated with any university, it is an independent 
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government authorities.
the rLJ is published in english and appears four times per year. all articles are 
subject to professional editing by native english-speaking legal scholars. the rLJ 
is indexed by Scopus and eSCi Web of Science.

Notes for Contributors

the rLJ encourages comparative research by those who are interested in russian 
law, but also seeks to encourage interest in all matters relating to international 
public and private law, civil and criminal law, constitutional law, civil rights, the 
theory and history of law, and the relationships between law and culture and other 
disciplines. a special emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary legal research.

manuscripts must be the result of original research, not published elsewhere. 
articles should be prepared and must be submitted in english. the rLJ does 
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welcomes qualified scholars, but also accepts serious works by Ph.d. students 
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Citations in footnotes must conform to The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. 
a references section is required: entries must conform to the author-title system, 
such as that described in the Oxford Style Manual.

TaBLE oF ConTEnTs

Articles:

Vladislav Tolstykh (moscow, russia)
Aleksey Kudinov (moscow, russia)
russia and international Law in 2000–2020:  
100 theses about Facts and trends .............................................................................4

Vera Rusinova (moscow, russia)
Sergei Korotkov (moscow, russia)
mandatory Corporate Human rights due diligence models:  
Shooting Blanks? .............................................................................................................33

Senko Pličanič (Ljubljana, Slovenia)
Foundations of ecocentric Law ..................................................................................72

Gennadi Tolstopyatenko (moscow, russia)
Stanislav Ageev (moscow, russia)
the roots of Legal Problems arising in the Course  
of automatic exchange of information in tax matters  
Between the eu and russia .........................................................................................99

Louise Kazemi Shariat Panahi (moscow, russia)
Historical Comparison of Sovereignty in international Law ..........................128

Comments:

Damir Valeev (Kazan, russia)
Nikita Makolkin (Kazan, russia)
digitization of Civil Legal Proceedings in the russian Federation ...............158

ARTICLES

RussIa and InTERnaTIonaL Law In 2000–2020:  
100 ThEsEs aBouT FaCTs and TREnds

VLAdISLAV TOLSTYKH,

MGIMO University (Moscow, Russia)

ALEKSEY KUdINOV,

MGIMO University (Moscow, Russia)

https://doi.org/10.17589/2309-8678-2021-9-4-4-32

The paper is an overview of the international legal stances of Russia, which were formed in 
the period from 2000 to 2020. The application of international law within the legal order 
of Russia is complicated by inconsistency of the Russian monistic concept, unclear status 
of customary law and general principles of law; lack of a developed judicial tradition. 
The Russia’s treaty policy comprises wide participation in general U.N. treaties, as well as 
bilateral treaties in the field of economic cooperation and legal assistance; unwillingness 
to participate in treaties, if this may entail negative political consequences. Russia backs 
down from some minor territorial claims in order to ensure stability; in some cases, she 
does not formulate a clear legal stance, limiting herself to political statements; she refuses 
to use judicial mechanisms, preferring bilateral negotiations and/or maintaining the 
status quo, and does not make efforts to create coalitions that support its claims. Russia 
uses international organizations rather as political fora, and not as a mechanism to 
create new legal order; she often takes a passive position when considering issues that 
do not affect its interests; she makes efforts to use the U.N. mechanisms, but sometimes 
lacks allies and trust from other members of international community. Russia recognizes 
the jurisdiction of international courts, but takes a passive position by rarely filing 
suits, objecting to jurisdiction and refusing to participate in the proceedings. The post-
Soviet international courts are politicized and do not make a serious contribution to 
the development of integration law. Russian doctrine is experiencing a serious crisis, 
which is caused by various reasons and can hardly be overcome by the efforts of the 
corporation itself.

VLAdISLAV TOLSTYKH, ALEKSEY KUdINOV
5

Keywords: foreign policy of Russia; international legal stance; monistic concept; 
provisional application of treaties; treaty policy; territorial claim; international justice; 
international law doctrine.

Recommended citation: vladislav tolstykh & aleksey Kudinov, Russia and Interna-
tional Law in 2000–2020: 100 Theses About Facts and Trends, 9(4) russian Law Journal 
4–32 (2021).

Table of Contents

1. International Law in the Legal Order of the Russian Federation (RF)
2. Treaty Policy
3. Borders of the RF
4. Russia and International Organizations
5. Russia and International Courts
6. Russian Doctrine of International Law
7. Foreign Policy of the RF and International Law

1. International Law in the Legal Order  
of the Russian Federation (RF)

1. article 15(4) of the russian Constitution reads as follows:

the universally-recognized principles and norms of international law and 
international treaties and agreements of the rF shall be a component part of 
its legal system. if an international treaty or agreement of the rF fixes other 
rules than those envisaged by law, the rules of the international agreement 
shall be applied.

the Constitutional Court also recognizes the judgments of the eCtHr as part 
of russia’s legal system.
1 the status of treaties is governed by the Federal Law “on 
international treaties of the rF” (1995).
2. russian monistic approach is specific; the concept of self-executing inter-
national treaties, which in the uSa and other monistic states plays a role of a filter 
in the process of the application of treaties, is set forth in article 5 of the 1995 Law, 
however not applied by the russian courts. the eaeu Court, for example, applies 

1  Постановление Конституционного Суда Российской Федерации от 14 июля 2015 г. № 21-П // СПС 
«КонсультантПлюс» [ruling of the Constitutional Court of the rF of 14 July 2015 no. 21-P, SPS “Consul-
tantPlus”], para. 2.2 (Jun. 27, 2021), available at http://www.consultant.ru/cons/cgi/online.cgi?req=d
oc;base=LaW;n=182936#iPhzepSyc4inyvd21.

RUSSIAN LAw JOURNAL     Volume IX (2021) Issue 4 
6

Wto agreements
2 that the eCJ considers non-self-executing;
3 the reason for this is the 
obligations of the rF, stipulated in the report of the Working Group on the accession 
of the russia to the Wto.
3. the Supreme Court of the rF defines “universally-recognized principles of 
international law” as “fundamental peremptory norms of international law” and “rules 
of conduct accepted and recognized by the international community as a whole as 
legally binding.”
4 this definition correlates with the jus cogens concept. the question 
of whether it covers customary law and general principles of law remains open. at the 
same time, russian courts sometimes apply international customs.
5 doctrine pays 
little attention to this problem.
4. the 1995 Law classifies all treaties into interstate, intergovernmental and 
interagency ones, only the first have priority over the regular laws (arts. 1, 3); 
agreements concluded by executive bodies have priority only over the acts of these 
bodies.
6 the Constitution does not clearly reveal its relationship to treaties, but the 
Constitutional Court proceeds from its unequivocal priority over them.
7 Legitimation 
of this priority was one of the points of the constitutional reform 2020.
8

2  See Решение Суда ЕврАзЭС по делу Новокраматорского машиностроительного завода от 24 июня 
2013 г. // СПС «КонсультантПлюс» [Judgment of the Court of the eurasian Community on the case 
of novokramatorsk machine-Building Plant of 24 June 2013, SPS “ConsultantPlus”] (Jun. 27, 2021), 
available at http://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LaW_148151/.

3  Germany v. Council, C-280/93, eCJ, Final Judgment, 5 october 1994, eCr 1994, i-04973; Portugal v. 
Council, Final Judgment, C-149/96, eCJ, 23 november 1999, eCr 1999, i-08395, etc.

4  Постановление Пленума Верховного Суда Российской Федерации от 10 октября 2003 г. № 5 «О применении 
судами общей юрисдикции общепризнанных принципов и норм международного права 
и международных договоров Российской Федерации» // СПС «КонсультантПлюс» [resolution of 
the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the rF no. 5 of 10 october 2003. on the application by Courts 
of General Jurisdiction of the universally-recognized Principles and norms of international Law and 
international treaties of the rF, SPS “ConsultantPlus”], para. 1 (Jun. 27, 2021), available at http://www.
consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LaW_44722/.

5  thus, in its Judgment of 9 February 2015 in case no. a56-48129/2014, the St. Petersburg arbitration 
Court applied the provisions of the draft articles on Jurisdictional immunities of States and their 
Property (iLC, 1991) and the 2004 u.n. Convention “in accordance with customary international law.” 
See Решение от 9 февраля 2015 г. по делу № А56-48129/2014 // Судебные и нормативные акты РФ 
[Judgment of 9 February 2015 in case no. a56-48129/2014, Judicial and regulatory acts of the russian 
Federation] (Jun. 27, 2021), available at https://sudact.ru/arbitral/doc/uLnaJQd5JKmm.

6  See also resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the rF of 10 october 2003 no. 5, supra 
note 4, para. 8; Постановление Пленума Верховного Суда Российской Федерации от 31 октября 
1995 г. № 8 «О некоторых вопросах применения судами Конституции Российской Федерации 
при осуществлении правосудия» // СПС «КонсультантПлюс» [resolution of the Plenum of the 
Supreme Court of the rF no. 8 of 31 october 1995. on Some issues of the application by the Courts 
of the Constitution of the rF in the delivery of Justice, SPS “ConsultantPlus”], para. 5 (Jun. 27, 2021), 
available at http://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LaW_8847/.

7  ruling of the Constitutional Court of 14 July 2015 no. 21-P, supra note 1.

8  in the address to the Federal assembly of 20 January 2020, the President of the rF stated: “the time 
has come to introduce some amendments to the Basic Law of the country that directly guarantee the 

VLAdISLAV TOLSTYKH, ALEKSEY KUdINOV
7

5. article 15 of the 1995 Law requires parliamentary ratification of treaties amen-
ding legislation on human rights, territorial issues, principles of international relations, 
participation in international organizations.
9 article 16(2) requires the submission to 
Parliament of a certified copy of the official text of a treaty, statement of reasons for 
its ratification, determination of the treaty’s compliance with the legislation, as well 
as an assessment of the consequences of ratification. noteworthy, the translation 
of a treaty is not required.
10

6. in the conclusion of a treaty, in addition to state bodies, an organization may 
participate, “authorized in accordance with federal law to submit to the President of 
the rF or to the Government of the rF proposals on the conclusion, implementation 
and termination of international treaties of the rF” (art. 2(i) and 3 of the 1995 Law, 
adopted in 2007). in accordance with article 6(2) authorized organizations have the 
right to decide whether to agree to be bound by a treaty.
11

7. the main state bodies
12 can submit recommendations on the conclusion of 
a treaty to the President or the Government, which are obliged to give an answer 

priority of the russian Constitution in our legal framework. What does this mean? this literally means the 
following: the requirements of international legislation and treaties, as well as decisions of international 
bodies can be in force on the territory of russia only to the extent that they do not entail restrictions on the 
human and civil rights and freedoms and do not contradict our Constitution.” See Послание Президента 
Федеральному Собранию от 15 января 2020 г. // Президент России [address to the Federal assembly 
of 15 January 2020, President of russia] (Jun. 27, 2021) available at http://kremlin.ru/events/president/
news/62582. the new article 79 states: “the rF may participate in interstate associations and transfer to 
them part of its powers according to international treaties and agreements, if this does not involve the 
limitation of the rights and freedoms of man and citizen and does not contradict the principles of the 
constitutional system of the rF.” See Law on amendment to russian Federation Constitution, President 
of russia, 14 march 2020 (Jun. 27, 2021), available at http://en.kremlin.ru/acts/news/62988.

9  on 23 September 2019 Prime minister d. medvedev signed a resolution on the adoption of the Paris 
agreement; according to a government press release, the agreement “does not contain the grounds 
for ratification provided for by russian law.” article 20 of the Paris agreement stipulates that “this 
agreement shall be open for signature and subject to ratification, acceptance or approval by States 
and regional economic integration organizations that are Parties to the Convention.”

10  as a result, some treaties do not have an official translation – as in the case of the Wto agreements. in 
the Judgment of 20 July 2012, the Constitutional Court refused to consider the applicants’ allegation, 
that the non-translation of Wto agreements violates article 68 of the Constitution (“the russian 
language shall be a state language on the whole territory of the rF”). the Court held it to be sufficient 
that the Protocol on accession to the marrakesh agreement was translated into russian (para. 5.2).

11  Currently, there are only agreements in which Gazprom is defined as an organization authorized to 
execute the agreement. See Соглашение между Правительством Российской Федерации и Правительством 
Республики Казахстан о совместной деятельности по геологическому изучению 
и разведке трансграничного газоконденсатного месторождения Имашевское от 7 сентября 
2010 г. // Электронный фонд правовой и нормативно-технической информации [agreement 
between the Government of the rF and the Government of Kazakhstan on joint activities with respect 
to geological survey and exploration of the Imashevskoye transboundary gas condensate field of  
7 September 2013, electronic Fund of Legal and regulatory technical information] (Jun. 27, 2021), 
available at http://docs.cntd.ru/document/902240035?section=text.

12  Chambers of the Federal assembly, constituent entity of the rF, Supreme Court, Prosecutor General’s 
office, Central Bank, High Commissioner for Human rights.

RUSSIAN LAw JOURNAL     Volume IX (2021) Issue 4 
8

(art. 8); the ministry of Foreign affairs and the executive authorities, with the 
approval of the ministry of Foreign affairs (and, if necessary, of the ministry of Justice) 
can make proposals for concluding an agreement (art. 9), containing statement of 
reasons for such decision. the role of the ministry of Foreign affairs is depicted in 
the decree of the President of 8 november 2011 no. 1478 “on the Coordinating 
role of the ministry of Foreign affairs of the rF in the implementation of a uniform 
Foreign Policy of the rF.”
8. Provisional application is allowed by decision of the body that has decided 
to sign the treaty. if the treaty needs ratification, it must be submitted to the State 
duma within a period not exceeding 6 months from the date of the beginning of 
provisional application (art. 23); the consequences of failure to submit the draft, 
however, are undefined. the regime of provisional application is applied with respect 
to the agreement between the uSSr and the uSa on the maritime boundary 1990 
and the energy Charter treaty 1994 which was in force until 2009. in the ruling  
24 december 2020 the Constitutional Court (no. 2867-О-Р) stated that the Government’s 
consent to the provisional application does not apply to those provisions of the treaty 
that govern matters within the exclusive jurisdiction of Parliament.
13

9. article 4 of the 1995 Law requires the approval to be received from the consti-
tuent entities of the rF with respect to treaties potentially affecting the interests of 
these entities. their proposals are to be under consideration during the preparation 
of the draft. this rule is interpreted by the Constitutional Court restrictively, as 
meaning “coordination with the authorities of certain constituent entities of the 
rF with respect only to those agreements that functionally burden these entities.” 
the Court concluded, that there is no need for such approval with respect to every 
agreement on “key economic issues.”
14

10. article 72(1) refers to the joint jurisdiction of the rF and her constituent entities 
with respect to the “coordination of international and foreign economic relations of 
the subjects of the rF.” the 1998 Law on the Coordination of [these] relationships 
requires that the agreements of russian regions be coordinated with the ministry of 
Foreign affairs and stipulates that they “are not considered as international treaties” 
(art. 7), and federal authorities are not responsible for them, except in cases of consent 
or guarantees given by the federal Government. the constituent entities of the rF 

13  as a result, the Constitutional Court ruled out the application of the provisions of investment treaties 
providing for the jurisdiction of investment arbitrations, on the pretext that, in accordance with 
article 47(1) of the Constitution, the competence of the courts may be determined exclusively by the 
Law. this ruling is a reaction to the decision of the Hague Court of appeal dated 18 February 2020, 
in which the dutch court admitted that russia was bound by the eCt at the time she took repressive 
measures against the company yuKoS.

14  See Постановление Конституционного Суда Российской Федерации от 9 июля 2012 г. № 17-П //  
СПС «КонсультантПлюс» [ruling of the Constitutional Court of the rF of 9 July 2012 no. 17-P, SPS 
“ConsultantPlus”] (Jun. 27, 2021), available at http://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_ 
LaW_132320/.

VLAdISLAV TOLSTYKH, ALEKSEY KUdINOV
9

have concluded over a thousand general agreements, in recent years this practice 
has been curtailed.
11. the Constitutional Court consider cases on the correspondence to the Consti-
tution of the rF of “international treaties and agreements of the rF which have not 
come into force” (art. 125 (2) of the Constitution). in a ruling dated 9 July 2012, the 
Court recognized the Protocol on russia’s accession to the marrakesh agreement 
establishing the Wto in conformity with the Constitution. the Court refused to assess 
the correspondence to the Constitution of the agreement per se, pointing out that 
only the Protocol and the reasons for its conclusion is subject to the review, and 
indicated that this issue is within the competence of the Government.
12. the russian courts use the principle of consistent interpretation of treaties 
(the Charming Betsy doctrine)
15. its application in the field of human rights is based 
upon article 17(1) of the Constitution:

in the rF recognition and guarantees shall be provided for the rights 
and freedoms of man and citizen according to the universally recognized 
principles and norms of international law ...

the courts determine applicable rules of international law ex officio. they can 
request information concerning the validity of a treaty and the practice of its 
application from the ministry of Foreign affairs and the ministry of Justice. However, 
such cooperation is rare.
13. there exist some problems of the application of international law within 
the legal order of the rF, that is: 1) inconsistency in the application of the monistic 
concept which is stipulated in article 15 of the Constitution; 2) the unclear status of 
customary law and general principles of law recognized by civilized nations; 3) unclear 
solution of some issues of treaty law (e.g. provisional application of treaties); 4) lack of 
a developed judicial tradition of interpretation and application of international law.

2. Treaty Policy

14. russia continues to be the party of the main conventions concluded after 
World War ii that have become the basis of common law: Geneva Conventions of 
1949, 1969 Convention on the Law of treaties, 1982 Convention on the Law of the 
Sea, etc. these conventions are ritually defined by russian doctrine
16 and diplomacy 

15  in its ruling in the yahya Gafur case of 17 February 1998 the Constitutional Court interpreted the 
rights to freedom and judicial protection in the context of “universally-recognized principles and 
norms of international law.” By the Judgment of 27 June 2013 “on the application by the Courts of 
General Jurisdiction of the 1950 european Convention” the Supreme Court ordered the lower courts 
to take into account the positions of the eCtHr.

16  the russian international Law association commemorates the anniversaries of important treaties 
by holding conferences.

RUSSIAN LAw JOURNAL     Volume IX (2021) Issue 4 
10

as the basis of international order, while not accompanied by detailed comments 
and not the subject to meaningful discussions.
15. in the period 2000–2020, russia joined the 2000 Convention against trans-
national organized Crime; 2003 Convention against Corruption; 2003 Framework 
Convention on tobacco Control; 2005 Convention against doping in Sport; 2008 
Convention on the rights of Persons with disabilities; Wto agreements (2012); 
2015 Paris agreement under the united nations Framework Convention on Climate 
Change (2016); voted for the 2018 Global Compact on migration, etc.
16. at the same time she refused to participate in the 2001 treaty on Plant Genetic 
resources; 2004 Convention on Jurisdictional immunities of States; 2006 Convention 
for the Protection of all Persons from enforced disappearance; 2008 Convention 
on Cluster munitions; 2011 optional Protocol to the Convention on the rights of 
the Child on a Communications Procedure; 2013 arms trade treaty; 2002 Chisinau 
Convention on Legal assistance (within the CiS).
17. russia withdrew from some treaties: the 1990 treaty on Conventional armed 
Forces in europe;
17 2000 Plutonium management and disposition agreement between 
russia and the uSa;
18 1992 treaty on open Skies.
19 russia refused to participate in 
the iCC Statute, which it signed in 2000,
20 and the 1994 energy Charter treaty, which 

17  Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 13 июля 2007 г. № 872 // СПС «Гарант» [decree of the 
President of the rF of 14 July 2007 no. 872, SPS “Garabt”] (Jun. 27, 2021), available at http://base.
garant.ru/12154582/; Федеральный закон от 29 ноября 2007 г. № 276-ФЗ «О приостановлении 
Российской Федерацией действия Договора об обычных вооруженных силах в Европе» // 
СПС «КонсультантПлюс» [Federal Law no. 276-FZ of 29 november 2007. on the Suspension by 
the russian Federation of the operation of the treaty on Conventional armed Forces in europe, 
SPS “ConsultantPlus”] (Jun. 27, 2021), available at http://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_
LaW_72838/. the explanatory note to the mentioned Federal law stated: “until all nato countries 
ratify the adapted CFe treaty and begin to implement this document in good faith.”

18  Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 3 октября 2016 г. № 511 «О приостановлении 
Российской Федерацией действия Соглашения между Правительством Российской Федерации 
и Правительством Соединенных Штатов Америки об утилизации плутония, заявленного 
как плутоний, не являющийся более необходимым для целей обороны, обращению с ним 
и сотрудничеству в этой области и протоколов к этому Соглашению» // СПС «КонсультантПлюс» 
[decree of the President of the rF no. 511 of 3 october 2016. on the Suspension by the russian 
Federation of the agreement Between the Government of the russian Federation and the Government 
of the united States of america on the disposal of Plutonium declared as Plutonium that is no Longer 
necessary for defense Purposes, its Handling and Cooperation in this area and the Protocols to this 
agreement, SPS “ConsultantPlus”] (Jun. 27, 2021), available at http://www.consultant.ru/document/
cons_doc_LaW_206046/, containing a reference to “a fundamental change of circumstances.”

19  on 15 January 2021, the Foreign ministry announced that u.S.’ withdrawal from the treaty undermines 
the “balance of interests” and russia was withdrawing “due to the lack of progress in removing 
obstacles to the continuation of the treaty’s functioning in the new conditions.”

20  Распоряжение Президента Российской Федерации от 16 ноября 2016 г. № 361-рп «О намерении 
Российской Федерации не стать участником Римского статута Международного уголовного 
суда» // Президент России [order of the President of the rF of no. 261-rp 16 november 2016. on 
the intention of the rF not to Become a Party to the rome Statute of the iCC, President of russia] 
(Jun. 27, 2021), available at http://kremlin.ru/acts/bank/41387.

VLAdISLAV TOLSTYKH, ALEKSEY KUdINOV
11

it signed for the aims of provisional application.
21 it also withdrew the declaration 
to the Protocol i to the Geneva Conventions recognizing the competence of the 
international (Humanitarian) Fact-Finding Commission.
22

18. russia participates in the creation of the eurasian economic union treaty law 
(2014 agreement on the eaeu, 2017 agreement on the eaeu Customs Code). in 
recent years, she has entered into several general agreements within the eurasian 
economic Space: 2018 agreement on international treaties of the eaeu; 2018 
agreement on the Harmonization of Legislation in the Field of the Financial market; 
2019 agreement on the Principles of tax Policy in the Field of excise taxes on tobacco 
Products; 2019 Shipping treaty; 2020 trademark agreement.
19. Within the CiS, the following conventions were adopted: on legal assistance in 
2002; on the standards for democratic elections in 2002; on the status of a [foreign] 
journalist in 2004; on the legal status of migrant workers in 2008; on cross-border 
cooperation in 2008; on interregional cooperation in 2016; on agrobiodiversity in 
2016; on cooperation in outer space in 2018; on the transfer for punishment not 
related to imprisonment in 2019. russia does not participate in some of them.
20. Since 2000, russia has entered into 52 bilateral agreements on legal assistance; 
often they regulate only one form of assistance in criminal cases (extradition, transfer 
for punishment, etc.), for instance – treaties with abkhazia and South ossetia; legal 
assistance in civil cases is governed only by treaties with argentina and india (2000);
23 
there are no such agreements with Germany, Great Britain, France, uSa, Canada, 
israel, despite extensive commercial and family contacts with these countries.

21  Распоряжение Правительства Российской Федерации от 30 июля 2009 г. № 1055-р «О направлении 
уведомления о намерении Российской Федерации не становиться участником Договора 
к Энергетической Хартии, а также Протокола к Энергетической Хартии по вопросам энергетической 
эффективности и соответствующим экологическим аспектам» // Электронный фонд 
правовой и нормативно-технической информации [order of the Government of the rF no. 1055-r 
of 30 July 2009. on Sending a notification of the russian Federation’s intention not to Become a Party 
to the energy Charter treaty, as Well as the energy Charter Protocol on energy efficiency and related 
environmental aspects, electronic Fund of Legal and regulatory technical information] (Jun. 27, 
2021), available at https://docs.cntd.ru/document/902169103. this decision was made after a series 
of lawsuits by the yuKoS group of companies.

22  See Федеральный закон от 12 ноября 2019 г. № 368-ФЗ «Об отзыве заявления, сделанного 
при ратификации Дополнительного протокола к Женевским конвенциям от 12 августа 1949 
года, касающегося защиты жертв международных вооруженных конфликтов (Протокол i)» // 
СПС «КонсультантПлюс» [Federal Law no. 368-FZ of 12 november 2019. on the Withdrawal of the 
declaration made upon the ratification of the additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, 
Concerning the Protection of victims of international armed Conflicts, SPS “ConsultantPlus”] (Jun. 27, 
2021), available at http://www.consultant.ru/document/cons_doc_LaW_337349/. the explanatory 
note stated that since 1991 the international Fact-finding Commission has actually not been working; 
there is no russian representative among its members; a risk of politicized decisions increases in the 
given circumstances.

23  List of international treaties of the russian Federation on legal assistance, extradition and transfer of 
persons sentenced to imprisonment, ministry of Justice of the rF (Jun. 27, 2021), available at https://
minjust.gov.ru/ru/pages/perechen-mezhdunarodnyh/.