Andrew Kuchins: Russia wants to have a voice in Asia

... especially important as Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has made it clear that one of his goals for this current term is to more deeply integrate Russia into Asia. What were the major challenges that Russia had to overcome in fulfilling its APEC-2012' presidency promises? One of them was of a logistical nature: being able to have the adequate accommodation, transportation, infrastructure to host a meeting of this magnitude in Vladivostok. The investment in the development of Russky Island, the bridge to Russky Island, the major investment in the modernization of Vladivostok international airport, investment in high road infrastructure in and around Vladivostok – all of this was essential ...