PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
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to handle large numbers of foreign visitors. Concern among some Russian officials about the preparedness of the city for the APEC Summit was reportedly so great that at one point the government considered holding the meetings in St. Petersburg. This idea was quickly discarded, no doubt due to the ironic message that it could have sent to other Asia-Pacific powers of holding the APEC Summit in a European city.
need for much greater integration of the Russian Far East with the rest of the country. Some progress has been made in this area, from the expansion of the BAM into the northern reaches of Eastern Siberia to the improvement of port facilities in Vladivostok. The Sakhalin Island oil and gas projects have helped turn the region into a leading global supplier of liquefied natural gas and petroleum.
Once Russia committed to holding the summit in Vladivostok it began a crash program of building the infrastructure to accommodate the large number of visitors. I traveled there in February and visited various sites that will be integral to the success of the summit: the new airport terminal, the road and railroad terminal from the airport to downtown, the bridge to Russky Island, and the meeting facilities on Russky Island itself (see page 29-30).
However, the slow and steady migration of energetic young Russians from the region to the metropolises of European Russia is worrisome and points to the need for greater investment in social infrastructure in the Far East.
The very scale of the infrastructure development required to ensure the success of the event underscores the
We are looking forward to the APEC Summit in September with optimism and the belief that it will provide the impetus for strengthening investment and trade ties between the Russian Far East and the Asia-Pacific region. From an American perspective, we hope that it increases the awareness of the size
and potential of the Russian Far East and brings more American investment and visitors. In that regard, nothing would better serve the trans-Pacific dimension of our bilateral relationship than a direct flight between the U.S. mainland or Alaska and the Russian Far East. It is more than unfortunate that two neighboring countries sharing such deep historical roots in Alaska do not have a direct commercial air link. Let’s hope that the APEC summit provides the needed stimulus to bring about such a connection.
With warm regards,
Edward S. Verona
n
Russia Business Watch Spring 2012
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