Kaliningrad is one Russian
exclave that cuts off from mainland by two different states and that has many
variants for its future.
This city has a great
history. It is the youngest, the smallest and westernmost region in Russia. However,
the development of the district was insufficient. For a long time it was
isolated and neglected by Russian authorities and European countries as well.
During the 1990s Russian economic crisis of August 1998 causes deep social and
economic crisis in Kaliningrad. It was the first step to review of Russian
Kaliningrad’s policy. The second step was the EU enlargement in 2004. It has
lead to more active policy of Russian authorities in relation to this region.
Kaliningrad is important subject of the Russian Federation. It has a great
industrial potential first. Its major industries are manufacturing, shipping,
fishing and amber products. Second, it is the only Russian Baltic Sea port.
The EU that neglected
Kaliningrad as a significant region before has begun to pay more attention on
it lately. The EU has become more involved after the designation of Kaliningrad
as a Special Economic Zone especially. Nowadays, the European Commission has
its special program for Kaliningrad. It provides funds for business projects
under this program. The region has begun to show an increasing trade with the
countries of the EU. Kaliningrad shows an economic growth nowadays partly due
to the EU policy. The region has become more integrated in the EU.
Such ambivalent situation
causes two groups of problems related to this topic. The first one is about
movement of goods and people between Kaliningrad, the rest of Russia and the EU
countries. And the second group is internal situation in Kaliningrad. I am not
going to speak about it in detail, because the fundamental problem is the
future position of the region. How to develop cooperation between Kaliningrad,
Moscow and Brussels? Is Kaliningrad is going to be a part or a pilot project
for EU-Russian cooperation?
The last project shows that
Moscow holds the key and it does not want Kaliningrad to play as an independent
actor in relations with the EU. Kaliningrad is expecting to become a
significant energy supplier. Yes, I am speaking about the Baltic Nuclear Power
Plant. The project was established in 2007. It is the joint venture
ALTSOM-Atomenergomash and Rosatom Group. As it said in official descriptions of
the project it is going to provide a reliable supply of electricity to the
Russian enclave of Kaliningrad and to offset the lack of electricity in
neighboring nations by exporting power to those countries. No doubt, the
project has a great potential and purposes. It will become an essential
contribution to the region development as well.
It seems to become a great
project. Of course, there are some challenges, for instance, concerning
potential investors. It is not decided yet which foreign companies will
participate in the project. Moreover, there are some protests of European
Greens. But in relation to our topic we can conclude that it is firstly
political project. It can give the opportunity to Russia to increase the
energetic dominance in the region. It can contribute to better cooperation in
the region. And finally, Kaliningrad can become a center for such cooperation.
It can become a necessary puzzle for Moscow and Brussels relationships firstly
and for Russian, Polish and Lithuanian cooperation secondly. This project can
make the region more integrated and developed.
To introduce clarity into the place of Kaliningrad in the project and the
future, I am not sure that the regional cooperation is possible without an
active participation of central authorities in Russia. Many decisions are made
in Moscow. That is why Kaliningrad cannot become an independent player in the
project. However, it will get great benefits from the project. Second, I am
sure that economic cooperation always leads to better political collaboration.
It means that two existing groups of problems is expecting to be easily solved
in Kaliningrad.
To sum up, the foundation
stone of Russia’s Baltic Nuclear Power Plant was laid in February 2010. And I
believe that this stone has become not only the beginning of project but also
new vision of Kaliningrad as a significant Russian region and a puzzle for
Russian-EU cooperation.