Foreign economic activity of Saint Petersburg, the Leningrad Region, and the Republic of Karelia: problems and opportunities for development

• Published in: Baltic Region
• Main Authors: Bazhenov Yuri, Podshuvejt Olga
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University 2012
• Subjects: international economic cooperation; international trade; cross-border cooperation; adjacent areas; interregional cooperation; economic development capacity; Regional economics. Space in economics; HT388; Republic of Karelia
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5922/2079-8555-2012-1-6; https://doaj.org/article/0bdc6b2b53784da29b5fcae81d9716cf

In this paper, we look at the interregional cooperation in adjacent areas. Specifically, we focus our attention on the cluster of regions formed by the city of St. Petersburg, the Leningrad region and the Republic of Karelia. All three areas face a number of challenges when it comes to international trade: challenges that are shared and that require strategic coordinated solutions from regional decisionmakers. One of such solutions, for example, could require pooling of competitive advantages of these areas. The analysis of strategic documents of regional development, however, shows that the issue of interregional cooperation has not been duly addressed at any level, theoretical or practical. It is important to strengthen international trade capacity and to increase cooperation in other areas of cross-border relations, since these processes are crucial for Russia’s integration into the global markets.