Partnerships and
Governance
Russian Relationships
Existing cooperation and future opportunities.
byLCDRIAIN MCCONNELL
Regional Advisor for Russia and the Asia-Pacifc Region
U.S. Coast Guard Offce of International Affairs and Foreign Policy
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) collaboration with Russiangovernmentagencieshasresultedinacontinuousreturnoninvestmentinareassuchasfsheries
enforcement,maritimelawenforcement,searchand
rescue(SAR),marinepollutionresponse,shipsafety,
portsecurity,andmerchantshipportstatecontrol.
In each case, these relationships allow the Coast
Guardtoleveragemoreinformationandresources
thanwouldotherwisebeavailable,whichreduces
excessivespendingandemergencyresponsetimes.In
somesituationslikefsheriesenforcementcasesthat
straddlethemaritimeboundary,accomplishingmissionsispossibleonlybecauseoflong-cultivatedrela-
tionshipsandthecorrespondingRussianresponse.
Ourestablishedcooperationmustcontinuewhilewe
lookforopportunitiestobuildnewfriendships.
Time-Proven Bilateral Relationships
The Russian Federal Security Service, the successortotheSovietKGB,1isroughlyequivalenttothe
U.S.DepartmentofHomelandSecurity.TheBorder
Guard,withitsRussianCoastGuardcomponent,is
partoftheFederalSecurityService.
Primarily a law enforcement agency, the Russian
CoastGuardisakintoacombinationoftheUSCG
andU.S.CustomsandBorderProtection.However,it
The USCGC Bertholf and the Russian Coast
Guard vessel Vorovsky sail west to the Bering Sea on a joint exchange. The Vorovsky
is a Krivak-class frigate commissioned
in 1990, and the Bertholf is the frst of the
Coast Guard's National Security cutters.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Offcer
Sara Francis.
72
Proceedings
Summer 2013
www.uscg.mil/proceedings
