Socioeconomic differences in different parts of Russia's borderland are analyzed. Based on a compiled database of statistical indicators for 2000-2016 characterizing demographic, economic, and social development, as well as external economic ties of Russia's border regions and neighboring countries, the territorial gradients on both sides of the Russian border are assessed on a comparative basis. An increase in differences in the demographic potential has been identified in the Russian-Chinese and Russian-Kazakhstan regions. In the post-Soviet borderland, a growing inward turn of the borderline economies for the respective countries and an increasing marginality of border zones have been identified, which hinders interaction and cooperation. It has been established that the largest gradients in the level of economic development are observed at the old borders in the European part of the country inherited from the former Soviet Union. With an analysis of the economic and trade relations between the border regions of Russia and neighboring EU countries, as well as China, it has been shown that the larger the gap between their demographic and socioeconomic indicators, the higher the probability of unequal economic relations.
In the article, the challenges for cross-border cooperation in the case of the Russian – Kazakhstan borderland region are characterized based on the analysis of the demographic, sociocultural and economic potential. The article shows that, despite tangible success of Eurasian integration, on the regional level the potential of the cooperation has been decreased. Demographic processes and the politics of “kazakhization” become the reason for the erosion of the common information and sociocultural space, which could have been became a driver for integration processes at the regional level. The cooperation in the economic field is limited by the exploitation of the Soviet legacy – cooperation ties between limited number of industrial enterprises in raw materials area. Сross-border trade is one of the main drivers of modern economic relations. The geopolitical challenges related with the events in Ukraine have intensified the negative trends in the cross-border cooperation, which become a real test for the Eurasian integration. These factors have a significant impact on the processes of cross-border cooperation, in some cases contributing to the further divergence of the socio-economic and socio-cultural space in the Russian-Kazakhstan borderland.
The significance of economic factors in the emergence and development of “de facto states” remains insufficiently studied and debatable. This article deals with the case of South Ossetia, one of the six unrecognized republics that emerged in the post-Soviet space. Based on the study of statistical data, secondary sources and expert interviews with representatives of local authorities, business, and the academic community, the authors analyzed structural changes and the state of the economy of South Ossetia and views on development prospects in the context of state building. It has been shown that as a result of large-scale assistance from Russia, a structurally weak hyperservice economy has formed, whose key industries depend on government demand and Russian investments. Limited economic self-sufficiency, cross-border settlement of Ossetians and Georgians, as well as numerous family ties contribute to the emergence of a variety of cross-border practices (shuttle trade, smuggling, and peculiar payment systems) that reduce social tensions. The case of South Ossetia confirms that unrecognized status is not in itself an obstacle to economic development, but the lack of external legitimacy limits access to markets and creates difficulties for financial and trade transactions. As a result, Eurasian integration has become rather a source of problems for this republic, creating obstacles difficult to overcome for local businesses in trade with Russia, the only EAEU country that recognizes the Republic of South Ossetia as a sovereign state. As a result, economic problems, along with security issues, serve as a key argument for South Ossetia’s support for the idea of joining the republic to Russia.
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