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Электронное приложение к журналу «
Международная жизнь
»
Author : A. Vorontsov
Head, Department of Korea and Mongolia, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Science,
Candidate of Science (History)
A long-term trend in Russia's strategic turn to the
East has already surfaced some time ago, but it
has only recently become a tangible reality. The
2014 foreign policy developments have given the
trend an additional impetus. According to Russia's
leadership, the world has become increasingly
more polycentric, and this is the fact that should
be reckoned with.
A collective publication "An Uneasy Neighbor-
hood: Problems of the Korean Peninsula and
Challenges for Russia" (Ed. Prof. G.D. Toloraya) is a multifaceted research into the prob-
lems of the Korean Peninsula. The book's distinguishing feature is that it contains materials
written by representatives of several generations of researchers, i.e., both renowned Russian
experts - G.D. Toloraya, M.Ye. Trigubenko, S.S. Suslina - and very young professionals.
The book is divided into three parts: Two Koreas in the Early 21st Century, Two Koreas
and the Great Powers, and Russia and the Two Koreas: Lessons of History and Challenges.
Various experts have been continuously predicting an imminent collapse of the North Ko-
rean regime.
The book maintains that good relations with Pyongyang and Seoul are equally important
for Russia. At present, however, it is our cooperation with North Korea that allows Russia
strengthening its positions in Northeast Asia.
The researchers are convinced that it would be even more erroneous to exaggerate the
two countries' political closeness - there exist substantial differences of opinion on a num-
ber of issues.
Regarding Russia's relations with South Korea, it helps to remember that Seoul is bound
to Washington with allied commitments which it has always been unfailingly following.
The book underlines that Russia has an opportunity to cooperate with both Koreas, facil-
itating the resolution of the existing problems and thereby confirming its role as an influ-
ential and active party to the negotiation process on settling the situation around the
Korean Peninsula. Interestingly, the idea of a multilateral dialogue and political guarantees
belongs to Moscow. The authors have concluded that a negotiating process involving six
parties, specifically, the DPRK, South Korea, China, the U.S., Japan, and Russia, should
remain an important framework for settling the Korean Peninsula problems.
Two Koreas in the Contemporary World