Trans-border regions in the system of the regional hierarchy: the systemic approach

The article positions trans-border regions that are formed in the course of cooperation between the administrative, territorial and municipal institutions of neighbouring countries or have similar important characteristics, in the hierarchical system of regions. The authors prove trans-border regions to be a type of international regions and consider specific characteristics of these regions using the Baltic region as an example

Current State and Problems of the Border Regions of Russia with Belarus

The article describes the characteristics and problems of socio-economic development of the Russian border regions with Belarus. The basic stages of development and transformation of the economic and resettlement structures are revealed. Particular attention is paid to the strengthening peripheral effects in the development of the borderland in the post-Soviet era. It is noted that the economic stagnation and deindustrialization in the last decade is combined with the social degradation of the countryside and de-agrariation of the territory. Particular attention is given to the Smolensk oblast as a key link of the Russian-Belarusian borderland. The ways and directions of further development of the regions are presented. Paper argues on the need to develop a single concept and development programs of the Russian-Belarusian border area. The creation of the priority development areas in each of the border regions of Russia and Belarus proposed as an instrument of economic revitalization. Keywords: Russian-Belarusian Borderland, Customs Union, Union State, Eurasian Economic Union, Smolensk Oblast, Bryansk Oblast, Pskov Oblast, Cross-Border Links, Border Effects, Human Capital JEL Classifications: E6, F5, R

Approaches to the definition of the Baltic sea region

The Baltic Sea region is one of the most developed and well-formed regions of international cooperation. It is a place for promoting collaboration between businesses, non-profits, public authorities, and municipalities of the countries located on the Baltic Sea coast and its adjacent territories. The Baltic Sea region has both unresolved problems and potential for development. This necessitates the identification of the Baltic Sea region territory having a capacity for the efficient development of mutually beneficial intergovernmental and international ties. A thorough overview of research literature, the implementation of international programmes and initiatives of international and intergovernmental organisations, and the application of the method of cartographic analysis have contributed to defining the territory of the Baltic region. The analysis shows three spaces that differ in the effect of the Baltic Sea on their territorial development. This approach proposes three definitions of the Baltic Sea region - a narrow, an extended, and a broad one, each serving a different purpose and being characterised by a different density of internal connections. According to the narrow definition, the region comprises the whole territories of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia and the coastal parts of Russia, Germany, and Poland. The extended definition adds the remaining part of Poland, most Russian and German regions, and Belarus and Norway. The broad definition of the Baltic region incorporates Iceland, some territories of Russia, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Ukraine

The Current Approaches to the Transborder Studies in the Sphere of Tourism

The transborder relations have been intensively studied recently. The target of research depends on the specialization of the scientists involved in studying different aspects of transboundary ties. Depending on the aims, researchers elaborate on the notion of a transboundary region itself. The objective of our study is the consideration of approaches of different fields of study to the issues of transborder tourism; a search of innovative forms of transborder cooperation and identification of tools having a stimulating impact on the development of transborder tourism regions as a form of sustainable socio-economic development of transborder and border areas. Methods: comparative analysis, recreational and marketing approaches applied in tourism and recreational projecting of a space, and a cluster approach. The study resulted in the identification of the main areas of transborder and border cooperation; sets of issues were determined connected with studying transborder regions; properties characteristic of transborder regions were specified; major innovative tools were identified influencing the establishment of new transborder regions and clustering of the existing ones; and common regularities of tourism development in border regions were determined. Keywords: transborder tourism region, tourism resources, cross-border tourism, spatial planning in tourism, regional development, geographical aspects of tourism JEL Classifications: F5; L8; Z

Russia among the Countries of the Baltic Region

The Baltic region incorporates interactions of eight EU countries and the Russian Federation. It is composed of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, as well as the territories of Russia, Germany and Poland located on the Baltic coast. Subjects of the Russian Federation located in the Baltic region account for 16% of the territory, 20% of the population, and 15.5% of GDP. An even bigger role is of Russia at the national level among the countries of the Baltic region. It accounts for 91% of the territory, 50% of the population, 38% of GDP and 14% of foreign trade turnover of nine countries combined. New spatial forms of cooperation are being formed with Russian participation – Euroregions, cross-border clusters. International cooperation increases the global competitiveness of each of the participating countries. The development gap has decreased between more and less wealthy countries. However, in the past few years, the relationship between the EU and Russia has deteriorated. In 2014 – 2015 Russia's trade with the countries of the region decreased more than with other EU countries and the world. The mutual and social ties decreased. This is not conducive to socio-economic development of both Russia and the EU, and it is in the interest of both parties to abandon the growing confrontation. Keywords: international regionalization, Baltic region, Baltic countries, EU, Russia JEL Classifications: F15, F36, F42, F5

Cross-border Movement of People between Russia and Poland and Their Influence on the Economy of Border Regions

The ever-increasing role of cross-border movement for the development of the economies of the regions of neighboring countries located in the immediate vicinity of the border defines the topicality of this research. It is important to continually assess the dynamics of cross-border cooperation, reflecting the change in the foreign policy interaction between the Russian Federation and neighboring countries in Europe, to develop timely measures to minimize the negative consequences of such tendencies. The aim of research was to analyze the dynamics of cross-border movements and exchanges between the residents of the Kaliningrad Region and Poland, the assessment of the objectives' structure of visits and the distance from the border to the visit target. As a result of the research was compiled a “portrait” of the main groups of residents of the Kaliningrad region and Poland participating in cross-border movements, and authors' assessment of the positive and negative effects of such movements and exchanges on the economic development of these regions is given. Keywords: trans-border cooperation, regional development, economic cooperation, tourism, Kaliningrad region, Russia, Poland JEL Classifications: F63, R1

Approaches to the Definition of the Baltic Sea Region

The Baltic Sea region is one of the most developed and well-formed regions of international cooperation. It is a place for promoting collaboration between businesses, non-profits, public authorities, and municipalities of the countries located on the Baltic Sea coast and its adjacent territories. The Baltic Sea region has both unresolved problems and potential for development. This necessitates the identification of the Baltic Sea region territory having a capacity for the efficient development of mutually beneficial intergovernmental and international ties. A thorough overview of research literature, the implementation of international programmes and initiatives of international and intergovernmental organisations, and the application of the method of cartographic analysis have contributed to defining the territory of the Baltic region. The analysis shows three spaces that differ in the effect of the Baltic Sea on their territorial development. This approach proposes three definitions of the Baltic Sea region - a narrow, an extended, and a broad one, each serving a different purpose and being characterised by a different density of internal connections. According to the narrow definition, the region comprises the whole territories of Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia and the coastal parts of Russia, Germany, and Poland. The extended definition adds the remaining part of Poland, most Russian and German regions, and Belarus and Norway. The broad definition of the Baltic region incorporates Iceland, some territories of Russia, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Ukraine