Prospects for the Development of Siberia. Siberia is becoming increasingly important to the Soviet Union. Several factors should be taken into account to explain why the development of Siberia has become critical to the Soviets, and to a lesser extent, to the Western countries. The natural resources of Siberia are probably unique in the world today. They would help the Soviet Union to pursue its growth at a moment when the Ural- Volga deposits are levelling off, and the demand for energy and raw materials is growing within the CMEA. The development of Siberia is also dictated by hard currency motivations, which are reinforced as world market prices for oil, natural gaz and raw materials continue to increase. Political considerations are important too, in light of the Sino-Soviet dispute, and the integration of the Eastern Republics with the "European Russia". So far, the Soviet involvement in Siberia has been limited, because of the lack of advanced technologies and capitals. Some specific problems have not been solved yet, such as settling the population in Siberia, improving mining and drilling equipment, building pipe-lines, designing LNG facilities, etc. This explains why the Soviet Union is actively seeking Western cooperation. The United States, Japan and the Federal Republic of Germany are considering getting involved in some important Siberian projects. They would provide capitals and technology, and in most cases, they would receive a major portion of the project's associated output. This paper reviews the existing and currently negociated projects. It analyzes the major issues concerning the availability of credits, the transfer of technology, the MFN status, etc. within the legal, political and economical environment. It concludes that with or without Western involvement, in the exploitation of Siberian natural resources, Siberia will become a cornerstone of the Soviet economy. Western involvement is important because it will mean a more sufficient, less time- consuming and less costly developement of Siberia, but it is not critical to the Soviets. Assuming that some specific problems could be solved, a primary issue — financing — would still remain. The formation of international consortia of banks might be an answer. Japan is most likely to further invest in Siberia, but its attitude will be linked to the development of Sino-Soviet, Sino- Japanese and Soviet-American relationships. If the Berlin dispute could be settled and EEC-joint ventures would become possible, it is likely mat German and European involvement would be substantial because of their urgent need for energy. However, the United States is the only country which could provide enough credits to finance the huge Siberian projects. Any future development will therefore depend on the new Carter administration's attitude toward detente. In the near future, relatively small scale projects might occur but certainly not in the dimensions the Soviet Union is expecting.