Russia, and especially the Russian Far East, has reached a political and economic crossroads as the trans-Pacific economic axis - so prominent in the Cold-War era - gradually expands to include broader intra-Asian relationships. Multilateral economic interaction across ideological and political boundaries is creating a "soft" regionalism in Northeast Asia that offers the Russian Far East unprecedented scope for collaboration with its neighbors.

Indeed, the contributors - leading scholars and experts from private industry - argue that the future of the Russian Far East will be molded by its economic and political relations with the rest of Northeast Asia. Long known to be a rich storehouse of natural resources, the Russian Far East now faces the challenge of utilizing those resources in a manner that is sustainable and that is empowering to its people.

Exploring the opportunities for and obstacles to multilateral ties within the region, the contributors analyze the prospects for economic cooperation in labor supply, minerals and energy resources, transportation, and fisheries.