21. Russia's Southern Regions: Threats and Opportunities
- Author:
- Robert Orttung
- Publication Date:
- 06-2002
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- EastWest Institute
- Abstract:
- Instability in Russia's southern regions poses a threat to the continuation of the country's overall political and economic reform, and to regional stability in Central Eurasia. These regions, which already possess Russia's most fragile local economics, face a variety of problems emanating from the weak and failing states to their immediate south. Most visibly, there is the threat of terrorism, an increasing flow of illegal narcotics from producers in Afghanistan, an influx of contraband goods that wipe out Russian jobs, and illegal immigration. With few resources and extensive corruption among key officials, Russia's southern regions are poorly equipped to deal with these problems. Developing mutually beneficial trade links between Russia's southern regions and its neighbors in Central Asia, China, and Mongolia can mitigate instability and economic stagnation in this region, help to rebuild regional economies, generate income, and better enable governments to provide security and basic human services to their people. The West can support these developments as well as help combat organized crime, target corruption, and improve border security.
- Topic:
- Security, Economics, International Cooperation, and Terrorism
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan, Russia, China, Europe, Mongolia, and Asia