Russia Study Group
September 6, 2010

Link to [History of Study Group] here

[Overview of research]
Research topic: “Energy, Environment and Modernization in Russia”

Russia is well known as a resource superpower possessing a wealth of natural resources.
Benefitting from the surge in petroleum prices to drive its economic growth over the past
decade, the country has demonstrated its presence on the diplomatic stage by leveraging its
exports of resources to Europe and Asia.

The availability of such resources has not provenentirely advantageous for Russia, however; it has also produced weaknesses in anindustrial structure heavily skewed toward resource industries and in greater vulnerability to
global market conditions.

In a departure from current practice, the Medvedev

administration has advocated “modernization” in medicine and medical equipments, energy
efficiency, nuclear energy, space and communications, and IT in an effort to improve
economic efficiency and create considerable added value.

Attempts to tie efforts toward a

low carbon society to the promotion of new industries, typified by the “green New Deal” inUSA, have hit the mainstream, especially in the developed countries, and Russia’s own
efforts to implement its modernization policies are sure to garner attention in terms of how
Russia as an energy superpower will involve itself in worldwide trends.

In light of these circumstances, this Study Group is conducting research to clarify the natureand status of Russia’s reform policies, utilizing the keywords energy, environment, andmodernization.

What is the present state of the Russian economy, what policy directions

are being pursued, and how should the prospects for reform be assessed?

The Study

Group is employing a multifaceted approach to Russia spanning economics, domesticpolitics and foreign affairs, looking not only at economic matters such as Russia’s mainstay
energy industries (petroleum, natural gas, etc.), nuclear power as a source of green energy,
modernization efforts in the areas of manufacturing and high-tech, and steps taken to carryout environmental policies, but also at domestic politics under the Medvedev administration,
new foreign policy guidelines stemming from its modernization policies, etc. Such researchshould enable the Group to grasp numerous implications for future Japan-Russia relations.

[Activities thus far and future plans]1This Study Group was established in April 2010 to carry out this project spanning thetwo-year period from FY2010 to FY2011.

The Study Group is scheduled to meet six times

during the current fiscal year, and three of these meetings have already been held. Aninterim report will be compiled at the end of this fiscal year to check on the project’s direction
and to determine any points meriting greater consideration in future.

This research will befurther developed over the following fiscal year, with a final report to be prepared andhopefully published at the end of FY2011.

[Study Group Members]Group Leader:

MIZOBATA Satoshi, Professor, Institute of Economic Research, Kyoto
UniversityMembers:

UENO Toshihiko, Professor, Faculty of Foreign Studies, Sophia University
SAITO Motohide, Professor, Department of Policy Studies, Kyorin
University
SAKAGUCHI Izumi, Deputy Director, Institute for Russian & NIS
Economic Studies
TOKUNAGA Masahiro, Associate Professor, Faculty of Commerce,
Kansai University
MOTOMURA Masumi, Senior Research Fellow, Japan Oil, Gas andMetals National Corporation
MOROTOMI Toru, Professor, Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto
University
OKADA Miho, Research Fellow, Center for the Promotion of Disarmamentand Non-Proliferation, Japan Institute of International Affairs

Member andYOKOGAWA Kazuho, Research Fellow, Japan Institute of International

SecretaryAffairs

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