Table Of ContentGolden Mile
GeRMAnY
Dr. Olga Tserpitskaya,
Dr. Nataliya Markushina,
Dr. Natalia Kovalevskaia
RUSSIA AND REGIONALIZATION
Of WORLD POLITICS
BERLIN · 2014
Reviewed by: Y.N. Gladky, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences,
Doctor of Geography
Academic Editor: V.S. Yagya, Honorary Academician of the Russian Federation, Honorary
Professor of Saint Petersburg State University, Professor, Doctor of History
Published with support from the corporate group
Club ROM (Russian Orthodox Maecenas),
CLAN Magazine and TH Wildau.
Dr. Olga Tserpitskaya, Dr. Nataliya Markushina,
Dr. Natalia Kovalevskaia
This book explores the theoretical and applied aspects of regionalization of
world politics. It encompasses both negative and positive features of the spread of this
process, providing an introduction to the role of regionalization in Russia. The book
highlights regionalization data from a wide variety of political, cultural, economical
and social contexts
In the book the authors analyze the role of regionalization in the formation,
development and settlement of political processes internationally, basing research on
examining various ideas that can help in the formation of understanding and common
outlook of the process of regionalization worldwide.
© Dr. Olga Tserpitskaya,
Dr. Nataliya Markushina,
ISBN 978-3-944611-06-8 Dr. Natalia Kovalevskaia, 2014
Regionalization is currently becoming one of the most vital
elements of practice and theory in world politics. The book that both
of us had a chance to read presents a lovely and factual account of
the development of regionalization as a global process and explores
the whys and wherefores of the history, current status and future
of regionalization, based on trends that form important structural
elements of transnational environment of world politics.
The interesting and excellent studies in this book go a long way
toward filling the enormous gap in our understanding of the role
and importance of regionalization in the formation of sovereignty
in Russia.
This work brings together a diverse group of Russian scolars
trained in political science and history to consider the interrelationship
between developments in the issues of regionalization and the course
of the Russian statehood process. Dr. Tserpitskaya, Dr. Markushina
and Dr. Kovalevskaia exploring the issues of regionalization avoid
taking sides and introduce their ideas in a measured but engaging
way, backed by facts and figures.
A fascinating and authoritative book that should be required
reading for all scholars, decision makers, and others interested in
regionalization process in today’s Russia.
Prof. Dr. László Ungvári Konstantin Loskutnikov Baron von Bossner
President of the University President of the Maecenas Club,
of Applied Sciences Wildau COB of Directors of the Golden Mile Group
3
ThE RESEARCh Of A ROLE Of ThE REGIONAL
COmPONENT IN ELAbORATION Of ThE
fOREIGN POLICy Of ThE RUSSIAN STATE
Collapse of the Soviet Union featured one of the
milestone events across the globe in XXth century. The
Soviet Union Republics were replaced by new independent
states. The Russian state initiated an active search for its
position within the globalizing world. In doing so, it followed
a track of expanding its participation in international
organizations, setting up new interstate entities and
coalitions, intensifying bi- and multilateral relations with
the rest of the world, as well as deepening engagement of
sub-federal entities (regions) into international cooperation.
After a lapse of 17 years, one can consider it for sure
that the role of regions in international cooperation has
grown tremendously, especially when it comes to security
and economic interdependence. That is why, promotion
of security of the Russian Federation is tightly connected
with evolution of foreign policy and changes in priorities
of economic development.
At present, scholars are putting forward two major
forms of foreign policy periodization. The first one consists
of three stages1. The first time span fell on 1991-1994,
4 Vardomskiy L.B., Skaterschikova Е.Е. External economic activity by Russia’s regions.
M. 2002. p.92
5
when control by centre was quite loose and legislative
acts had common nature. At the second stage (1995 -
1998) the authorities (centre) were attempting at not only
strengthening of control over international activity by
regions, but also working out respective legislation. And,
finally, the third stage has been going on since 1998. Its
fundamental trend is enhancement of the power vertical.
To a great extent, the second type of periodization
was down to internal policy processes and management
reshufflings, which had been preconditioned not only by
parliamentary, but also, first and foremost, presidential
elections. Thus, it has two stages, corresponding to
periods of rule of Russia’s presidents B.N. Yeltsin and
V.V. Putin, along with D.A. Medvedev (whose tenure fell
on 2008 – 2012, without any deviations from the foreign
policy launched by V.V. Putin2).
Both types of periodization in course of 1990-s
and early XXIst century concur in a common trend that
proceeds from broader freedom of regions to enhancement
of centre over executive and legislative powers in sub-
federal entities3.
All this should be taken into account by defining a
notion of a regional component in evolution of the foreign
policy of the Russian state. To carry out the research, a set
of criteria should be pinpointed and scrutinized:
2 Markushina N.Yu. Foreign affairs of regions: from Yeltsin to Putin. Materials of the
international conference “Russia between parliamentary elections: current issues in domestic
and foreign policy”. St. Petersburg, 2004. p. 42.
3 Vardomskiy L.B., Skaterschikova Е.Е. External economic activity by Russia’s regions.
M. 2002. p.92
6
1. ThE RUSSIAN fEDERATION, bEING AN
INTEGRAL PART Of ThE GLObAL POLITICAL
PROCESS, INCONTESTAbLy, ShOULD TAkE INTO
ACCOUNT kEy fEATURES Of CONTEmPORARy
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, WhICh TEND TO
GLObALIZATION AND REGIONALIZATION.
In XXIst century the Russian Federation has been
keeping on solving a dual-purpose issue of restoration of
national economic power, as well as its integration into
global economy. In other words, having paid primary
attention to interior development, Russia is providing for
itself with a position on the global stage that is worth
pursuing. The issue of working out a national strategy with
regards to foreign affairs of regions is equally important.
This circumstance manifests itself especially in the light of
intense interest in regional development as a whole, and in
Europe in particular. From viewpoint of the West, urgency
of the regional factor is coercing many states to make
efforts to develop legal (national and international) basis
of their action4. Steps that have been made by Russia in
this area can be noted by growing trust of foreign partners.
Undoubtedly, two processes, which structure global
social space and, at a first glance, renounce each other, have
become predominant in modern Russia – globalization
4 Likhachev V. Towards Europe of regions. Sub-federal entities of the Russian Federation
possess a considerable potential for international cooperation //Nezavisimaya gazeta,
September, 29 2000
7
and regionalization.5 The scholarly community differs
in the appraisal of globalization and regionalization.
For instance, Charles Kegley and J. Wittkopf in their
monograph “World politics” claim that nowadays any
changes in global politics can be described by the term
“globalization”. This word is used, either as a verb, or,
adjective and noun, in order to explain global processes.
It implies internationalization and integration of the world
community into s single entirety, without any borders and
obstacles.6
Regionalization is moving side by side with the global
process. On the one hand, it precedes globalization, and
on the other – regionalization confronts globalization. In
opinion of the professor Khalikov M.S.: “Regionalization
is typical of interdependence and extension of enterprise
entities far beyond national borders, whereas regional
boundaries are restricting scope of these trends”.7
Thus, regional hubs of economic, political and
cultural-civilizational nature are evolving arbitrarily and
purposefully alongside with globalization. According
to a definition given by the professor Zeleneva I.V.
“Formulation of identity concepts is turning into an
urgent challenge, and its solution is inconceivable but for
complicated account of intra-regional and international
5 Kononov I.F. Globalization and regionalization in the modern world
// www.sociology.kharkov.ua/docs/chten_01/kononov.doc
6 Kegley Charles W. J., Wittkopf Eugene R. World Politics (Trend and Transformation)
P. 20.
7 Khalikov M.S. “Regionalization and globalization as two trends in evolution of the
modern world”. Volume №1
8
political processes at the regional and interregional tiers”8.
The notion of regional identity is coming to the forefront.
The professor of the York University (Great Britain) Mark
Beeson, in reliance on a Benedict Anderson’s concept
of “imaginable communities”, believes that formation of
such an identity or sense of immersiveness to a region is a
principal precondition for establishment of a community.
Emergence of formal institutions, on the contrary, appears
for merely an external manifestation – “a marker” – of this
phenomenon9.
Authors of classical definitions of a “region”,
regionalism, and regionalization paid attention, first
and foremost, to search for the criteria of “objectively”
existing regions and predictive valuation of opportunities
for integration of member-states in these regions10. Such
an approach was explained by the fact that empirical
experience of integrational entities was utterly restricted.
Today, accumulated experience is providing sufficient
data to point out vision on regions and a role of separate
factors, which precondition regionalization in the
contemporary world. The concept of an “international
region” implies presence of a spatial factor in form of
“zones of reciprocal gravitation” as an essential pre-
requisite for regionalization.11 S.K. Pestsov suggests three
8 Zeleneva I.V. India’s foreign policy. St. Petersburg. 2003. p.2
9 Beeson M. Regionalism and Globalization in East Asia: Politics, Security, Economic
Development. New York, 2007: 6-9
10 Gladkiy Yu.N., Chistobaev A.I. Regional studies. M., 2000. p. 26
11 Kazantsev A.A. Central Asia: institutional structure of international cooperation in a
growing region // Polis. 2005, № 2: p. 78
9
criteria for highlighting zones of reciprocal gravitation: a)
inclination to group interactions with neighboring states;
b) endurance (stability) of interrelationship; c) scopes of
these interrelationships12.
As E.I. Zelenev fairly notes, as a rule, a region is an
entity that is wider or less than a country. Coincidence
of boundaries of a region or country features a fairly
rare historic phenomenon, which is not far from being
an occurrence. In opinion of the Russian scholar N.M.
Mezhevich, presence of specific economic, ethnographic,
confessional, socio-cultural content, particular type of
political life and power elites is a prerequisite for evolution
of a region on a definite territory.
Territory is a basic and determinant attribute of a
region, but not a single one. “For a territory or community
of states to turn into a “region”, occurrence of all or part of
these traits is necessary:
- commonality of historical destinies;
- availability of features, which are distinctive of only
this culture (material and mental);
- geographic unity of a territory;
- common type of economy;
- collaborative working environment in regional
international organizations”13
The professor of the Goteborg University (Sweden)
Bjorn Hettne supposes that it would possible to reflect on
regionalism, only having assured that a group of uniting
13 Mezhevich N.M. Economic analysis of a region. St. Petersburg., 2007: pp. 5-6
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