Double Challenge of Integration and Transformation in 1990s-Siberia between Russia and Northeast Asia

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, regionalism became an important theme for Northeast Asia in 1990s. As the geopolitical obstacles to greater economic inte-gration seemed gradually to fade away beginning with Gorbachev’s perestroika, and as the economic miracles of Japan and the ‘four tiger states’ were repeated all over the region, time seemed ripe for regional integration in Northeast Asia. This was especially true for market integration in the case of the Russian parts of Northeast Asia. In this respect, both economic and security aspects were of great importance for Siberia and the Russian Far East. These were perceived as opportunities to bypass the hardships of transition elsewhere experienced in Russia and also as a chance to gain greater autonomy for the first time throughout Siberian history. However, by the late 1990s, Siberia’s great expectations remained still unfulfilled, as well concerning economic inte gration as political integration. Nevertheless, this paper concludes that there seemed several positive reasons for further cooperation among them in the near future, in aspects of both at the potential economic and at the strategic role of Siberia in Northeast Asia. In other words, it is hard to say Russia’s double challenge of integration and transformation in 1990s was only unsuccessful although there were few visible achievements. It is clear that Siberian experience in 1990s will clearly help more concrete regional integration and cooperation in Northeast Asia in the 21st century.