Paradiplomacy As a Sustainable Development Strategy: the Case of Russia’S Arctic Subnational Actors
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Paradiplomacy as a Sustainable Development Strategy: The Case of Russia’s Arctic Subnational Actors Alexander Sergunin Pertti Joenniemi* Abstract This paper examines how paradiplomacy is exploited by the Russian Arctic subnational actors (regions DQGPXQLFLSDOLWLHV IRUEXLOGLQJWKHLUVXVWDLQDEOHGHYHORSPHQWVWUDWHJ\0RUHVSHFL¿FDOO\WKUHHUHVHDUFKTXHVWLRQV DUHDGGUHVVHG)LUVWZKDWDUHWKHDFWRUV¶LQFHQWLYHVIRUVXEQDWLRQDOLQWHUQDWLRQDODFWLYLWLHV"6HFRQGZKDWDUHWKH PDLQ SDUDGLSORPDWLF VWUDWHJLHV LQVWUXPHQWV DQG LQVWLWXWLRQV"7KLUG ZKDW DUH WKH LPSOLFDWLRQV RI SDUDGLSORPDF\ IRUFHQWHUSHULSKHU\UHODWLRQVDQG5XVVLD¶VIRUHLJQSROLF\"7KHSDSHUIRFXVHVRQWKHIROORZLQJVWUDWHJLHVPHWKRGV of paradiplomacy: making direct agreements with international partners; attracting foreign investment; creating a SRVLWLYHLPDJHRIWKHUHJLRQVFRRSHUDWLRQZLWKLQWHUQDWLRQDORUJDQL]DWLRQVHVWDEOLVKLQJUHSUHVHQWDWLYHRI¿FHVLQ foreign countries; the twinning of cities; participation in sub-regional arrangements; and capitalizing on national diplomacy and federal infrastructures. The authors conclude that in the foreseeable future paradiplomacy will retain LWVLPSRUWDQFHIRUWKHVXEQDWLRQDODFWRUVRIWKH5XVVLDQ$UFWLFDVDQHI¿FLHQWLQVWUXPHQWIRUEXLOGLQJVXVWDLQDEOH development strategies. Introduction 7KH H[WHUQDO DFWLYLWLHV RI VXEQDWLRQDO DFWRUV ZKLFK DUH D FRQFRPLWDQW RI WKH SURFHVV RI UH- JLRQDOL]DWLRQKDYHEHFRPHW\SLFDOIRUPDQ\FRXQWULHVLQFOXGLQJ5XVVLD7KHDFWLYHGHYHORSPHQWRI LQWHUQDWLRQDOFRQWDFWVLVFRQVLGHUHGE\PDQ\5XVVLDQUHJLRQVDQGPXQLFLSDOLWLHVQRWRQO\DVDQHI¿FLHQW instrument for problem solving but also for building sustainable development strategies. These actors believe that even their marginal location can be an additional resource or competitive advantage in their development strategies: with international cooperation they can transform themselves from terra incog- QLWDLQWRDWWUDFWLYHSODFHVIRULQYHVWPHQWWRXULVPFXOWXUDOHYHQWVHWF The concept of paradiplomacy denotes international activities of subnational and non-state ac- WRUVWKDWKDYHOLPLWHGFDSDELOLWLHV±LQWHUPVRIUHVRXUFHVDQGOHJDOSRZHUVíLQWKHIRUHLJQSROLF\VSKHUH * Alexander Sergunin is Professor of International Relations at St. Petersburg State University and the Higher 6FKRRORI(FRQRPLFV3HUWWL-RHQQLHPLLVDUHVHDUFKHUDWWKH.DUHOLDQ,QVWLWXWH8QLYHUVLW\RI(DVWHUQ)LQODQG Corresponding Author: [email protected]. 1 Eurasia Border Review < Article > According to Soldatos1DQG'XFKDFHN2 paradiplomacy is a part of the processes of globalization and UHJLRQDOL]DWLRQ XQGHU ZKLFK VXE DQG QRQVWDWH DFWRUV SOD\ DQ LQFUHDVLQJO\ LQÀXHQWLDO UROH LQ ZRUOG SROLWLFV5HJLRQVPXQLFLSDOLWLHVFRPSDQLHV1*2VDQGRWKHUUHOHYDQWRUJDQL]DWLRQVVHHNWRSURPRWH LQWHUQDWLRQDO FRRSHUDWLRQ DQG DFFRXQW IRU D VLJQL¿FDQW SDUW RI FRQWHPSRUDU\ FURVV DQG WUDQVERUGHU FRQWDFWV7KHSKHQRPHQRQRISDUDGLSORPDF\UDLVHVQHZWKHRUHWLFDOTXHVWLRQVFRQFHUQLQJWKHUROHRIWKH VWDWHVXEVWDWHDQGQRQVWDWHDFWRUVLQLQWHUQDWLRQDODIIDLUVDQGDWWKHVDPHWLPHLWFKDOOHQJHVWKHH[LVWLQJ state system and international law (which together represent the very basis of the international political order in the Westphalian era).3 7KHSDUDGLSORPDFLHVRI5XVVLD¶VVXEQDWLRQDODFWRUVLVDFRQWURYHUVLDOLVVXHLQWKHDFDGHPLF OLWHUDWXUH2QHJURXSRIUHVHDUFKHUVSUHIHUVWRLGHQWLI\WKHQHJDWLYHDVSHFWVRISDUDGLSORPDF\4 They be- lieve that external activities of Russian subnational actors would lead to the disintegration of the Russian Federation and the rise of corrupt and separatist regimes in the Russian regions. The gloomy forecasts UHJDUGLQJWKHLPSOLFDWLRQVRISDUDGLSORPDF\IRUWKHFRXQWU\¶VLQWHJULW\EHFDPHHVSHFLDOO\SRSXODULQ SHULRGVRIFULVLVVXFKDVWKHFULVHVRIDQG±&RQYHUVHO\WKHUHLVDJURXSRIDXWKRUVZKR are absolutely positive about the paradiplomacy of subnational units because the latter are healthy for WKHFHQWHUSHULSKHU\UHODWLRQVKLSDQGVHUYHDVDFKHFNRQWKHJURZLQJDXWKRULWDULDQLVPLQ5XVVLD¶VGR- mestic and foreign policies under the Putin regime.5 There is also a group of scholars who believe that paradiplomacy is a “natural outcome” of the glocalization process and coincides with the global trend of VXEQDWLRQDODQGQRQVWDWHDFWRUV¶JURZLQJLQWHUQDWLRQDODFWLYLWLHV6 13DQD\RWLV6ROGDWRV³$Q([SODQDWRU\)UDPHZRUNIRUWKH6WXG\RI)HGHUDO6WDWHVDV)RUHLJQSROLF\$FWRUV´LQ Federalism and International Relations: the Role of Subnational UnitsHGV+DQV0LFKHOPDQQDQG3DQD\RWLV 6ROGDWRV 2[IRUG&ODUHQGRQ3UHVV ± 2,YR'XFKDFHNThe Territorial Dimension of Politics: Within, Among, and Across Nations (Boulder and London: :HVWYLHZ3UHVV ,YR'XFKDFHN³3HUIRUDWHG6RYHUHLJQWLHV7RZDUGVD7\SRORJ\RI1HZ$FWRUVLQ International Relations” in Federalism and International Relations± 3+HLGL+REEV City Hall Goes Abroad: The Foreign Policy of Local Politics 7KRXVDQG2DNV6DJH %ULDQ +RFNLQJLocalizing Foreign Policy, Non-central Governments and Multilayered Diplomacy (London: Palgrave 0DFPLOODQ 0LFKDHO.HDWLQJParadiplomacy in Action /RQGRQ)UDQN&DVV 4'RXJODV%OXPHGRussia’s Future: Consolidation or Disintegration? %RXOGHU&2:HVWYLHZ *UDHPH +HUGRussia’s Systemic Transformation: Trajectories and Dynamics? (Copenhagen: Copenhagen Peace Research ,QVWLWXWH>&235,:RUNLQJ3DSHUQR@ 3HWHU.LUNRZRussia’s Provinces: Authoritarian Transformation versus Local Autonomy? /RQGRQ0DFPLOODQ *DLO/DSLGXVHGThe New Russia: Troubled Transformation %RXOGHU&2:HVWYLHZ3UHVV 1HLO0HOYLQRegional Foreign Policies in the Russian Federation (London: 5R\DO,QVWLWXWHRI,QWHUQDWLRQDO$IIDLUV 0DUWLQ1LFKROVRQTowards a Russia of the Regions (London: ,QWHUQDWLRQDO,QVWLWXWHIRU6WUDWHJLF6WXGLHV>$GHOSKL3DSHUQR@ -HVVLFD6WHUQ³0RVFRZ0HOWGRZQ&DQ 5XVVLD6XUYLYH"´International Security ± 53HUWWL-RHQQLHPL.DOLQLQJUDGDVD'LVFXUVLYH%DWWOH¿HOG (Copenhagen: Copenhagen Peace Research Institute >:RUNLQJ3DSHUQR@ 3HUWWL-RHQQLHPLBridging the Iron Curtain? Cooperation around the Baltic Rim &RSHQKDJHQ&RSHQKDJHQ3HDFH5HVHDUFK,QVWLWXWH>:RUNLQJ3DSHUQR@ 3HUWWL-RHQQLHPLDQG-DQ 3UDZLW]HGVKaliningrad: The European Amber Region $OGHUVKRW$VKJDWH *XOQD]6KDUDIXWGLQRYD ³3DUDGLSORPDF\LQWKH5XVVLDQ5HJLRQV7DWDUVWDQ V6HDUFKIRU6WDWHKRRG´Europe-Asia Studies ± 60LNKDLO$OH[HHY Russia’s Periphery in the Global Arena: Do Regions Matter in the Kremlin’s Foreign Policy? 2 Sergunin and Joenniemi The purpose of this study is to examine how the Russian Arctic subnational actors7 use paradi- plomacy as a resource for problem solving and ensuring their sustainable development. The discussion EHORZIRFXVHVRQWKUHHVSHFL¿FTXHVWLRQV)LUVWZKDWDUHWKHLQFHQWLYHVIRUVXEQDWLRQDODFWRUV¶LQWHU- QDWLRQDODFWLYLWLHV"6HFRQGZKDWDUHWKHPDLQSDUDGLSORPDWLFVWUDWHJLHVLQVWUXPHQWVDQGLQVWLWXWLRQV" 7KLUGZKDWDUHLPSOLFDWLRQVRISDUDGLSORPDF\IRUWKHFHQWHUSHULSKHU\UHODWLRQVDQG5XVVLD¶VIRUHLJQ SROLF\" Regions and Cities as New International Actors ,QFRQWUDVWZLWKWKH&ROG:DUHUDZKHQVXEQDWLRQDODFWRUVZHUHH[SHFWHGWRUHPDLQH[FOXVLYHO\ ZLWKLQWKH³GRPHVWLF´VSKHUHSUHVHQWO\WKHSUHURJDWLYHRIVWDWHVWRLQVHUWGLYLVLYHERUGHUVKDVJUDGXDOO\ HURGHGDQGFRQVHTXHQWO\YDULRXVVXEQDWLRQDODFWRUVKDYHEHHQDEOHWRHVWDEOLVKLQWHUQDWLRQDOUHODWLRQVRI their own. $VIDUDVWKH(XURSHDQVXEQDWLRQDOXQLWVDUHFRQFHUQHGWKHLUPRWLYDWLRQVZHUHLQWKH¿UVWSODFH LGHDOLVWLFDQGDLPHGDWGHSRODUL]DWLRQWKHEROVWHULQJRIPXWXDOXQGHUVWDQGLQJDQGWKHFUHDWLRQRIWLHV of friendship between people across the East-West barrier. Cooperation itself was symbolic in character DQGUDUHO\GULYHQE\DQ\SUDJPDWLFFRQFHUQVDQGLQWHUHVWV,QUHPDLQLQJSULPDULO\V\PEROLFLQHVVHQFH WKHFRQWDFWVHVWDEOLVKHGDPRXQWHGWRPHHWLQJVEHWZHHQUHJLRQDODQGORFDOOHDGHUVWKHVKDNLQJRIKDQGV FXOWXUDOHYHQWVDQGRUJDQL]LQJIHVWLYDOVEXWWKH\FRXOGLQDIHZFDVHVDOVRFRQVLVWRIGHOLYHULHVRIDLGWR partners from the post-Socialist countries and the establishment of somewhat permanent ties. As far as the Russian Arctic subnational actors are concerned the initial thrust for their external DFWLYLWLHVFDQEHH[SODLQHGE\WKHKDUVKUHDOLWLHVRIWKHV$WWKDWWLPHPDQ\RI5XVVLD¶VIDUQRUWKHUQ territories were almost abandoned by the federal government; they had to develop survival strategies. )RUHLJQDLGDQGLQYHVWPHQWZHUHVHHQDVRQHRIWKHPRVWHI¿FLHQWLQVWUXPHQWVIRUNHHSLQJORFDOHFRQR- PLHVDÀRDW+RZHYHUZKHQWKHVRFLRHFRQRPLFVLWXDWLRQLQ5XVVLDLPSURYHGVXEQDWLRQDOHQWLWLHVWHQGHG to see international cooperation as an integral part of their sustainability strategy rather than as an emer- gency tool. It should be noted that subnational actors do not aim in general at applying and copying the principles and characteristics of state-to-state relations. They do not reach out on behalf of the state but 6DQ'LHJR6DQ'LHJR6WDWH8QLYHUVLW\ $QGUHL0DNDU\FKHYHGMezhdunarodnye Otnosheniia v 21m Veke: Regionalnoe v Globalnom, Globalnoe v Regional’nom [International Relations in the 21st Century: Regional in Global, Global in Regional@ 1L]KQLL1RYJRURG1L]KQLL1RYJRURG/LQJXLVWLF8QLYHUVLW\ $OH[DQGHU 6HUJXQLQ³5HJLRQVYVWKH&HQWHU7KHLU,QÀXHQFHRQ5XVVLDQ)RUHLJQ3ROLF\´Internationale Politik 5 (2000): ± 7$FFRUGLQJWR5XVVLDQOHJLVODWLRQVXEQDWLRQDOHQWLWLHVVWDQGIRUWZRFDWHJRULHVRIDFWRUV PHPEHUVRIWKH 5XVVLDQ)HGHUDWLRQ QDWLRQDOUHSXEOLFVkrays SURYLQFHV oblasts UHJLRQV DXWRQRPRXVUHJLRQVDQGGLVWULFWV DQG PXQLFLSDOLWLHV FLWLHVWRZQVVHWWOHPHQWVRIXUEDQW\SH>WKLVLVWKH5XVVLDQVSHFL¿FV±$6@WRZQVKLSVDQG GLVWULFWVFRXQWLHV 3 Eurasia Border Review < Article > usually do so for reasons of their own. This is to say that they do not regard the relations established as DQLQWHJUDODVSHFWRIPRUHIRUPDO³IRUHLJQ´SROLFLHV$VQRWHGE\%HDWH:DJQHU if sub-state actors try WRFRS\WKHSROLWLFDOW\SHRIUHODWLRQVWKDWH[LVWEHWZHHQVWDWHVWKH\DUHPRVWO\XQDEOHWRGHYHORSWKH QHFHVVDU\SOXUDOLW\RUEULQJDERXWWKHWUDQVQDWLRQDOTXDOLW\RIWKHLUUHODWLRQV8SKROGLQJWKHGLVWLQFWLRQ between the national and the regional or local departures conceptually as well as a sphere of practice also HQWDLOVWKDWVWDWHVFDQIRUWKHLUSDUWUHPDLQTXLWHOHQLHQWYLVjYLVFRRSHUDWLRQEHWZHHQUHJLRQVDQGFLWLHV 7KH\PD\YLHZWKHUHODWLRQVHVWDEOLVKHGDVEHLQJLQWKH¿UVWSODFHVRFLHWDODQGSUDJPDWLFLQQDWXUH