Northwest Russia in the Baltic Sea Region
|
| Introduction |
This first issue of the IISS Russia and Eurasia Programme’s online journal is dedicated to an analysis of relations between northwestern regions of Russia and the states of northeast Europe. The analysis is based on papers delivered, and discussions held, at the December 2001 IISS/CIRP conference held in Velikiy Novgorod (in the Northwest Federal District) entitled ‘Prospects for Enhancing Cooperation between the North-Western Regions of Russia and Baltic Sea States’. The conference was the first in a series planned for all seven Federal Districts. The conference was organised as part of the Russia and Eurasia Programme project entitled ‘Russia’s Regional Perspectives on Foreign and Security Policy Issues’, which will examine how new Russian regional elites perceive, influence and carry out a range of policies in their relations with neighbouring countries.
|
| Executive Summary and Recommendations: Cross-border Cooperation between Russia’s Northwest and its Neighbours |
Russia’s northwestern regions play an increasingly important role in relations between Russia and Europe, which has become one of the main priorities in Russia’s foreign policy. Over the past decade, practically all Russian regions bordering countries of central and western Europe have developed different strategies for cross-border cooperation, ranging from ad hoc dialogue among regional entities on both sides of the border, to more sophisticated models of cross-border integration, such as Euro-regions. Such cross-border cooperation models represent important vehicles for Russia’s gradual integration into the European economic, political and security space. However, the level of cross-border cooperation remains much lower than in other parts of Europe, either within the European Union, or between the EU and the states on its periphery. Moreover, for many Russian regions the benefits of cross-border cooperation do not yet outweigh the costs associated with being a border region. This requires additional resources to develop the regional economy, to address political and security considerations and to negotiate with the federal centre a whole range of policies that used to lie outside the constitutional authority of regional government bodies. Full text HTML & PDF >
|
| The Economy of Northwest Russia: |
Northwest Russia covers 1.5m square kilometres and has 14.5m inhabitants. It comprises 11 administrative regions of the Russian Federation. It plays a large role in Russia’s economy, accounting for 12.7% of industrial output, 7% of agricultural output and 10.3% of the service sector.Full text HTML & PDF > |
| Cross-border cooperation: the experience of Karelia and Finland |
As we are approaching the tenth anniversary of the creation of the Council of Baltic Sea States as well as the tenth anniversary of the signing of the inter-governmental agreement on cooperation between the contiguous regions of the Russian Federation and Finland, it is a perfect time to draw preliminary conclusions, to celebrate the undoubted successes of which we are proud and, to analyse critically what has been done so far.
|
| A Northern Dimension for EU policies |
The Northern Dimension (ND) of the EU is a generic term which encompasses all activities of the Union in the Northern Dimension area, whether as part of the enlargement process, as for Poland and the three Baltic republics, or within the European Economic Area, as for Norway and Iceland, or finally and most importantly, as part of its foreign policy towards Russia including its assistance programme Tacis (Technical Assistance for the Commonwealth of Independent States), the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) and the Union’s Common Strategy on Russia (CSR). It thus forms the brackets around the Union’s soft-security policies in the region.
|
| A Regional Perspective on Economic Integration: Republic of Komi |
The Republic of Komi is a Russian region (oblast) covering an area of 415,900 km2, accounting for 2.4% of Russia’s territory. Komi is 7.5 times the size of Novgorod oblast. Approximately half of northern Europe’s gas reserves are located in Komi. It is estimated that Komi holds 500 million tonnes of oil reserves and about 240 billion tonnes of coal. 70% of Komi is forest (87% of which is coniferous) which amounts to over 2.8 billion m3 of timber. According to expert estimations, the gross value of the mineral wealth in Komi is US$15 trillion, and this estimate only accounts for those deposits which have been prospected.
|
| Priorities and restrictions in migration and demographic policy as part of the strategic planning for Northwest Russia’s development |
In 1999 Russia’s total population fell by 768,400; in the first six months of 2000 it declined by 425,000. In total, over the last 10 years, (taking into account net positive migration of 3 million), Russia’s population has decreased by 3.2 million. |
| Regional Cooperation in the Sphere of Nuclear Safety: a Case Study of the Dismantling of Nuclear Submarines at Severodvinsk Shipyards |
The main industrial activity in Severodvinsk is shipbuilding, a fact reflected in the original name of the town – Sudostroi (‘shipbuilder’). Since the delivery of the Russian Navy’s first nuclear submarine in 1957, the development of such ships has made its mark on the life of the town. In 1992, the State Russian Nuclear Shipbuilding Centre was established in Severodvinsk. Ensuring nuclear safety in the Nuclear Shipbuilding Centre is a key concern, as the plant’s inventory includes 25 nuclear-powered vessels and more than 60 vessels and facilities containing radioactive sources. Severodvinsk also hosts the Northern Fleet’s Belomorsk naval base, which has a factory for refuelling the reactors of nuclear submarines.
|
| ‘Soft security’ with Russia after 11 September |
The term ‘soft security’, at the time of East–West detente, was originally used to distinguish military issues from other relevant security issues, including such military-related issues as confidence-building measures and arms control. The subsequent widening of the notion of security has added environmental themes, transnational risks and security challenges, plus a wide spectrum of economic, social and political factors that affect the prospects for enhanced security through ‘stability export’ and transformation. ‘Soft security’ is thus apparently about almost everything except defence proper. In this sense, it is not really a term of practical value.
|
| Soft Security Problems in Northwest Russia |
‘Soft’ security threats are those of non-military origin. Hard security concerns are considered more important in Russia, to the extent that some members of the political elite do not even know what soft security threats are. Because of the region’s proximity, soft security problems in northwest Russia receive more attention from the EU than other issues, although these problems are in no way limited to this region. The traditional Cold War security dilemma, based on the perception of a military threat between East and West, has largely given way to a variety of new, non-military security challenges – so-called soft security threats, such as nuclear safety problems, infectious diseases and illegal migration connected with transnational organised crime). These are not merely internal Russian or Baltic Sea region problems, but existing or potential problems for other countries as well. |
