Article Revising the Concept of “Inter-Regional Interac-tions” in Spatial Economics

Abstract

В статье исследуется проблема использования понятий «межрегиональные взаимодействия», «межрегиональное сотрудничество», «межрегиональные связи» и «межрегиональные отношения». С точки зрения автора разграничение вышеуказанных понятий, придание их соотношениям определенного схематического и структурного вида, определение их иерархичности, взаимосвязи и взаимовлияния позволит в дальнейшем облегчить описание в экономических дисциплинах определенных процессов, протекающих в жизнедеятельности регионов в рамках их сотрудничества с другими субъектами. The article analyzes the existing formulations of the concept “interregional interaction”. Currently, the relevance of inter-regional interactions studies has received a new impulse, but until today there is no definite and clear formulation of “inter-regional interactions” concept. Due to it, there is a problem of law enforcement of this definition in conducting researches with-in the frame of interregional relationships. As a result, in this article, the invested semantic loads in the phrase “interregional interaction”, the consistency and accuracy of this definition usage in the study of socio-economic characteristics in the frame of interregional interaction are explored. In fact, at this stage of the researches, different authors have different points of view and different approaches in the usage of such concepts as inter-regional cooperation, interregional relations and interregional contacts. In that context, appears the question: is it correct men-tioned above formulations regard as synonyms? Are they de-pendent or independent of each other, consistent or inconsistent with common features and properties? Do they refer to one cate-gory or each of these concepts has its own distinctive features and carries out a separate semantic load? What allows us to say that these concepts are different and should not be used in any way as interchangeable definitions? As a result of the studies, comparison and study of various interpretations and approaches to the con-cept of “interregional interaction”, the author’s view is introduced into the relationship and interrela-tion of interregional interaction with the concepts of “interregional cooperation”, “interregional con-tacts” and “interregional relations”. Their conditionality and validity of the application in the descrip-tion of certain socio-economic relations between regions are considered. From the point of view of the author, the distinction between the above concepts, giving them a certain schematic and structural rela-tionship, determining their hierarchy and interaction will further facilitate the understanding of certain processes occurring in the daily and future life of the regions as part of their cooperation. Based on the review and analysis, the author introduces the wording of the notion “interregional interaction”.