Russia’s New Asia Strategy: Assessing Russia’s Eastward Pivot

Russia’s reemergence as an Asian power has long been examined exclusively from the perspective of the unfolding ‘great energy game’ in Eurasia. Over the last five years however, Russian leadership has shaped the contours of its new eastern policy based on a dramatic reassessment of major global trends, sources of power, security threats, and the roles of key actors in the changing international environment. In the year marked by Russia’s accession to WTO and its chairmanship of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, Moscow’s new eastward pivot is seen as a strategic decision driven by Kremlin’s “new globalist” approach to world politics, the imperative of modernization, and the security perceptions and political priorities of the Russian ruling elites concerned about Russia’s integrity, domestic stability and economic competitiveness. This seminar, featuring Dr. Vitaly Kozyrev, will elaborate on Russia’s strategic vision of Asia, focusing on the prospects of great power interaction, security cooperation, regional integration, and especially Russo-Chinese relations.

Dr. Vitaly Kozyrev is an expert on international relations in East Asia, Russo-Chinese relations, and regional security. From 1991 to 2007 he taught at the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Moscow State University and was a visiting professor at a number of institutions, including Amherst College, Yale University, University of Delaware, Yunnan University (China), and Feng Chia University (Taiwan). Dr. Kozyrev has served as a consultant to the Russian think tank at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Analytic Center (Moscow University of International Relations) and as advisor to the Moscow City Government on Sino-Russian relations. He has extensively published on Russian-Chinese relations, security in Asia, political and socio-economic transformations of China and Russia, and contributed to numerous books on the same subjects. He is currently a professor of Political Science and International Studies at Endicott College, Beverly, MA.

Presentation by: 

Dr. Vitaly Kozyrev
Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations,
Endicott College

Discussant: 

Dr. Michael Green
Senior Vice President for Asia and Japan Chair
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Moderated by:

Dr. Andrew Kuchins
Director and Senior Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Program
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Wednesday, November 14, 2012
10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Fourth Floor Conference Room