Problems and prospects of cross-border cooperation in euroregions with Russian participation

Introduction. Euroregions with the participation of constituent entities of the Russian Federation have been actively created since 1998 and still remain a popular form of developing cross-border cooperation with neighboring countries. Cooperation in the format of Euroregions has been aimed at solving the socio-economic problems of the border regions. However, each individual project of a Euroregion has its specific features. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the current state of cooperation in the format of Euroregions of the European and post-Soviet types, as well as the possibilities of extrapolating the experience of Euroregions with Russian participation. Materials and Methods. The available studies on Euroregions, as well as materials from the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and those of the Euroregions, were used as materials for this research. The comparative analysis as well as SWOT analysis made it possible to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the European-type and post-Soviet-type models of Euroregions and formed the methodological basis of the study. Results. The author has analyzed all the main results of the activities of the Euroregions of the European and post-Soviet types. Conclusions regarding the strengths and weaknesses of each type of the Euroregions have been made. In order to consider the possibility of extrapolating the European experience in establishing Euroregions in the Eurasian space, the cases of two projects of Euroregions, 'Our Common Home - Altai' and 'Transnistria', have been studied. The conclusions were drawn regarding the interests of both the local authorities and the political elite of the federal center in the development of cross-border cooperation programs, which is an important factor in the successful functioning of the Euroregions with the participation of constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Discussion and Conclusion. Analysis of the current state of the Euroregions with Russian participation made it possible to conclude that the format of the Euroregion itself is an effective form of cross-border cooperation. Based on the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the Euroregions, recommendations have been produced on organizing cross-border cooperation in the format of Euroregions in the Eurasian space, the most advantageous area for Russia; this can be of practical importance for strengthening bilateral international relations.