Russia in international economic institutions: are there contradictions in the regional and global agendas?

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on the analysis of Russia’s agenda in global and regional international economic institutions. Our aim is to reveal the main goals of Russia’s agenda in these institutions as well as their realisation and to find whether there is a contradiction or complementarity between Russian participation in global and in regional initiatives. We identify three of Russia’s main goals within the system of global and regional economic institutions as follows: increasing the role of Russia in global and regional economic governance; safeguarding the national economy from external shocks and facilitating its development; and ensuring the interests of Russian economic agents. We conclude that on the global level Russia has faced limitations on realising these goals and lacks its own agenda for international finance and trade issues. However, Russia has created and supported mechanisms for their realisation on the regional and trans-regional level.