Great Challenges and Opportunities for the Far East and Arctic

2 September 2021

Great Challenges and Opportunities for the Far East and Arctic

KEY FINDINGS

Developing the East – a priority for the 21st century

"In 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin designated the development of the Russian Far East as a national priority for the entire 21st century. ... We may well see the development of the Russian Far East as a fast-payback, high-payback project rather than simply supporting the economy of the Russian Far East", said Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Plenipotentiary Representative of the Russian President in the Far Eastern Federal District, Yury Trutnev.

"Our President has designated the development of Siberia and the Far East as a priority for the entire 21st century. I am convinced that this is not a figure of speech. No other country in the world has such an external framework, and no one has the Far East and the Arctic. This is an area on a scale comparable to the largest countries in the world, the United States, China, Brazil, and Australia", said Alexei Chekunkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic.

Different countries need to join forces to tackle security and climate change

"If there is one thing the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China and the United States have in common, it is that neither of us wants to see a resurgence of organized terrorism on Afghan territory. I would also like to talk about climate change, which is a very important topic. Like the pandemic, it brings us all together regardless of the structure of our economies”, said Kevin Michael Rudd, president of the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) and Prime Minister of Australia (2007–2010, 2013).

"Climate change may become a new idea or a new dogma that will be used in international relations to change the rules of the game. Trillions of dollars’ worth of decisions will be made”, said the Russian Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and the Arctic Alexei Chekunkov.

"Dialogue is the only best way to push back and find solutions to problems such as climate change, to problems such as Afghanistan and those already mentioned”, Atsushi Sunami, president of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

The future of the Far East lies in new technologies and renewable energy resources

"The ability to transform our economies into renewable economies is not only possible but also economically feasible. It is not only economically possible but also technically possible. It will allow us to create new opportunities for trade and investment that have not existed before”, said Kevin Michael Rudd, president of the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) and Prime Minister of Australia (2007–2010, 2013)..

"The first and most important thing is how we produce energy. The energy transition [is] already in full swing. It has to do with climate and humanity's willingness to abandon the traditional way of generating energy. What do we make materials out of, digging them out of the ground and melting them or assembling them from elements, like a construction set, what do we need? In light of these technological changes, the risks to the economic structure of the Russian Far East are obvious", said Alexei Chekunkov, Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic.

"What is the impact of new technologies? We are interested in a strategy that encourages the development of new technologies – this applies to artificial intelligence and space technology. But of course, it has to do with fierce competition", said Sasakawa Peace Foundation President Atsushi Sunami.

PROBLEMS

The changing global economy and complex inter-ethnic relations affect the economy of the Far East

"Trade relations are changing. We are facing a number of restrictions related to the export of agricultural products, fish. On the one hand, this has been a challenge and has even affected the rate of economic growth in 2020. But on the other hand, it has helped us find new ways to market in the Far East", said Yury Trutnev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Far Eastern Federal District.

"We have seen discontinuities and failures of ambitious plans. We see tensions between the US and China, all the sanctions imposed, the US against Russia, also the pandemic has done its part. Yes, indeed, some projects have stalled, slowed down, overall cargo volumes have decreased", Glenn Diesen, professor at the University of South East Norway.

The Far East lacks the necessary infrastructure for living and trading

"We will pay great attention to creating comfortable living conditions for people. I named the figure at 81,000 jobs. But these are not just jobs, because after working in a factory, a person must have somewhere to live and have the opportunity and conditions to educate their children, receive medical care, and rest. All this must be created", said Yury Trutnev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Far Eastern Federal District.

"I would like to build a new quality of life, to expand and equip our Far Eastern cities, to bring in the most modern, the most interesting things", said Alexei Chekunov, Minister of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic.

"Cooperation between Russia and Asia is deepening. We are talking about a strategic partnership. This certainly gives a boost to strong infrastructure development, which is exactly what is needed for active international trade along the Northern Sea Route", Glenn Diesen, professor at the University of South East Norway.

SOLUTIONS

International cooperation is needed for the development of the whole Asian region

"On the one hand, we need to push back on politics and geopolitics because young people around the world, whether we are Chinese, Australian or Russian, will look to us, expecting us to act to ensure at least the current situation remains", Kevin Michael Rudd, president of the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) and Prime Minister of Australia (2007–2010, 2013).

"An important point is international cooperation through legal instruments. We hope to see the Arctic as an area of cooperation rather than an area of competition, so we are keen to cooperate with the leadership of the Russian Federation in every possible way", Atsushi Sunami, President of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

"The most important thing is that this success, if Russia achieves it, will not prevent anyone from living. On the contrary, it will only help. This is a rare case where the success of one allows the success of others", said Andrei Bystritsky, Chairman of the Board of the Valdai Discussion Club Foundation for Development and Support.

Polar ecosystems must be protected

"What we have been seeing in Antarctica for a century tells us that we have to be extremely careful how we handle the very fragile ecosystems of the polar regions. Of course, these are very different regions. Antarctica is a continent, and in the Arctic, we are dealing with ice that is melting. I would like the forum to address solutions that are shared", Kevin Michael Rudd, President of the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) and Prime Minister of Australia (2007–2010, 2013).

"The Arctic region is a very fragile system. There's a lot we don't understand. There’s a lot we need to understand. And problems are lurking there, challenges. For example, we lack observation data. Japan is constantly observing the Arctic region", Atsushi Sunami, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation president.

Read more in the Roscongress Foundation Information and Analytical System roscongress.org.