Some Aspects of American Assistance to Russian Regions at the End of the Twentieth Century

Abstract

This article examines the role of the US in Russia’s transition to democracy and market economy, US-Russian relations on the regional level and the influence of discontents in US-Russian political relations on their economic ties and US assistance programs to Russian regions. The authors discuss the reasons of technical assistance shifting from the centre to the Russian regions in 1997 and the implementation of Regional Investment Initiative there. Special attention is paid to American assistance programs in Samara region. Russian reforms were created in Washington but they were developing with greater difficulties than it was expected earlier by both sides. Deep changes in Russian foreign policy and American-Russian relations at the end of the twentieth century led to decreasing of American investments to Russian regions. Nevertheless, in authors’ opinion, the RII Program played a significant role in social development of some Russian regions and broadening of the American-Russian “grassroot-level” ties.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n3s5p85