‘Asian Studies is a New High Tech for Russia’
Russia's pivot to the East requires balanced actions, as well as knowledge of the languages, cultures, and traditions of Asian countries. Without this, Russian businesses will not be able to work there effectively. Experts and government representatives discussed the issue and the experience of Russia's regions working in Asia at ‘The Pivot to the East: The Regional Dimension’, the first interregional conference held by HSE University with the support of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development.
HSE Rector Nikita Anisimov reminded the guests that discussion of the turn to the East had been initiated by Sergey Karaganov, the present Academic Supervisor of the HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, 10 years earlier, when the relevance of the topic was far from being evident.
At the first conference of Oriental Studies recently held at HSE University, he described how, under the new conditions, Russian civil servants and businessmen have to work in a very difficult space, where a knowledge of historical, cultural, and business traditions is essential for success.
The HSE Rector said that about 80% of the university's students come from different parts of Russia. ‘We have a strong student, teaching, and research resource coupled with digital knowledge. Always pay attention to researchers from the East; these people know the intricacies and specifics of the countries with which Russia is strengthening its relations. Listen to the scientists,' said Nikita Anisimov, summing up his speech.
Dmitry Volvach, Deputy Minister of Economic Development, emphasized that China has been Russia's most important trading partner since 2010 and that Russia is one of China's top ten key counterparts. In 2021, trade turnover between the two countries reached USD 113 billion. Russia and China are planning to increase it to USD 200 billion over the coming years.
The parties are now focusing on creating new trade routes, developing reliable payment mechanisms, and increasing investment cooperation. Russia and China are implementing about 80 joint projects in mining, infrastructure, and industry worth a total of USD 160 billion. The Deputy Minister cited the Great Wall car factory in the Tula region as an example of successful cooperation.
Although considerably smaller, bilateral trade with India is also growing rapidly. The main issues of bilateral relations are related to settlements and logistics. Deputy Minister Volvvach also reported a growth in trade with Southeast Asia and the Middle East. He spoke about trade liberalisation with Vietnam, which has signed a free trade agreement with the EAEU.
Vladimir Lebedenko, Secretary of the Council of Heads of Russian Regions under the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is convinced that Russia should actively work with Latin American countries that are open to international cooperation.
Russia should take advantage of federalism in Brazil, Mexico, and India, where states have a significant degree of autonomy in foreign trade activities. According to Vladimir Lebedenko, the Foreign Ministry has established structures for cross-regional interaction in the foreign policy arena and is providing recommendations on developing relations with each country. In his opinion, regional cooperation platforms should be organized. He mentioned the experience of the Chelyabinsk Region in establishing a forum of heads of SCO regions, and stressed that it is also important to develop cross-border cooperation with regions of Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and China.
Anastasia Likhacheva, Dean of the HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, emphasized that the Faculty has been working on this turn to the East for 10 years. Russian business has been facing problems in recent months, but these problems are not due to low awareness of the country in the world. While working with their Asian partners, Russian businessmen tend to demonstrate a boilerplate attitude, repeating the methods and mistakes of their predecessors, while a successful approach to modern business requires a high level of flexibility.
Anastasia Likhacheva believes that new partners should be attracted not only by profitability, but also by the ability to ensure the security of supplies of essential resources, such as food and energy.
It is also important to use the experience of sanctioned countries in training personnel abroad. For example, Chinese specialists have studied cutting-edge technology in Brazil and Bahrain.
‘Oriental Studies is a new high tech for Russia. Without this knowledge, we won't make it to Asia. We are ready to provide internships to representatives of regional universities and to implement student projects. A clear guide to the East is essential for quality work,’ said Anastasia Likhacheva.
The moderator of the opening session, HSE Vice Rector Veronika Minina, said that HSE university was ready to create a platform where it could share its accumulated expertise and scientific knowledge, and where the regions will be able to summarise their experience.
The session ‘Regional Models of International Cooperation’ was attended by representatives from many Russian regional authorities, where they shared their experience in cooperating with foreign countries. According to Olga Guseva, Director of the External Affairs of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Government, China is the region's major overseas partner, not only in trade, but also in education: nine universities have signed cooperation agreements with 26 Chinese universities, with most Chinese students studying at the Conservatory of Music.
The region is also actively building cooperation with India, Syria, and Turkey. In India, specialists from Nizhny Novgorod are building sections for future nuclear power plants, and in Turkey, there is a GAZ car plant.
Ekaterina Kochetova, Deputy Prime Minister of Buryatia, and Geser Dorzhiev, Director General of the Republic's Regional Development Fund, spoke about cross-border cooperation with Mongolia.
Ekaterina Kochetova said that the trade turnover with Mongolia reached USD 57 million after the lifting of covid restrictions in 2021. She also noted that many Mongolians would like to study Russian language and culture. Geser Dorzhiev said that the growth of transportation is constrained by the current infrastructure, and, given this situation, he believes it is necessary to coordinate the actions of Russia and Mongolia with initiatives from China.
The conference continued with thematic sessions titled ‘Asian Countries and Regions as Partners: China, India, South-East Asia, and the Middle East’ and ‘Supporting International Cooperation of Russian Regions’.
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