Cross-border dimension of Eurasian integration of Russia and Kazakhstan: challenges for cooperation

Abstract

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.

Hidden geographical opportunities for convergence of Russian-Kazakh border area

“…One of the factors that could negatively affect the regional convergence of the Russian-Kazakh border area is the outflow of Russian-speaking residents of Northern Kazakhstan to the territory of the Russian Federation. A number of researchers (Burnasov et al, 2019;Karpenko, 2019;Vardomsky, 2019) objectively noted the current trend of the last thirty years such as the Russian-speaking population (Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians) leaving Kazakhstan in search of permanent residence in Russia.…”

“…Among the hidden geographical opportunities, we can consider the potential for the agglomeration effect; in the era of planned economy, border agglomerations were successfully integrated into the structure of emerging territorial and industrial complexes, creating an "agglomeration industrial base" (Atyrau-Astrakhan, Samara-Uralsk, Chelyabinsk-Kurgan-Petropavlovsk, Omsk-Pavlodar, Barnaul-Ust-Kamenogorsk). Now, in the era of market transformations, we can talk not only about growth poles or territories of advanced development, but also about emerging cross-border regions that are of great importance for the economies of both countries (more than $500 billion) (Karpenko, 2019); the regions of the Kazakhstan border region contribute 36% of the country's total GDP. The share of the Russian part of the border area (without the Autonomous districts of Tyumen region) is 12% (Karpenko, 2019).…”

“…Now, in the era of market transformations, we can talk not only about growth poles or territories of advanced development, but also about emerging cross-border regions that are of great importance for the economies of both countries (more than $500 billion) (Karpenko, 2019); the regions of the Kazakhstan border region contribute 36% of the country's total GDP. The share of the Russian part of the border area (without the Autonomous districts of Tyumen region) is 12% (Karpenko, 2019). The existing potential of future cross-border regions can strengthen synergetic effects in the economy, which are expressed in the formation of production and cooperative interregional networks, industrial and regional clusters, unified educational spaces, etc.…”

Cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan in Ensuring Integrated Security in the Caspian Macro Region

“…Degtereva, A.M. Chernyshova (Degtereva & Chernysheva, 2019), M.S. Karpenko (Karpenko, 2019) investigate into challenges and threats of cooperation in security matters.…”