Reproduction potential of rural areas in chernivtsi region in cross-border cooperation: asymmetries in development and ways of their overcoming
Authors: Zybareva Oksana , Belej Svitlana , Luchyk Oleg 
Published: June 2021

The deepening of cross-border cooperation opens new opportunities for the revitalization of rural areas and obtaining synergistic effect from interlacing reproductive potential of rural areas and subjects that are located there. Considering the dynamics of external environment, there is a need for researching new factors, forms, conditions and parameters of imbalanc-es overcome for rural development in the integration and convergence that affect the economic security of the state.
The current realities of European integration processes strengthen the role of cross-border cooperation and open new opportunities for the development of rural areas. The convergence of the rural areas economy of the Euroregion ‘Upper Prut’ simultaneously acts as a catalyst and an indicator of the development of European integration of Ukraine.
However, the current state of rural areas development of the Chernivtsi region is a process of uneven, asynchronous and disproportionate changes. The analysis of the development of rural areas showed an uneven development. The main disproportions in the development of rural areas of the Chernivtsi region are the following: monofunctional character of development; inefficient agriculture; negative impact on soil fertility, insufficient application of organic and mineral ferti-lizers; low income of the rural population; absence of conditions for the development of alternative business lines and their further diversification in rural areas; lack of an adequate mechanism for implementing financial support for the development of rural areas; Lack of economic interest to live and work in rural areas, motivation for work, unemployment, labor migra-tion, poverty. Asymmetric development of rural areas of the Chernivtsi region makes it difficult to use the border as a stimu-lating rather than inhibiting factor of cross-border convergence.
It should be noted that Chernivtsi region has the opportunity to equalize the asymmetries in the development of rural areas, which are provided by a unique natural resource potential, features of land resources as a natural basis, human, scien-tific and technical potential. However, practice shows that if the normal course of economic processes is violated, without government intervention, there is an increase in disproportions and a socio-economic asymmetry in the development of rural areas. The conducted studies prove the necessity of developing a regional policy aimed at reducing asymmetries in the de-velopment of rural areas and searching for new forms of interaction between participants in cross-border cooperation.
Elimination of disparities in rural development is possible through the cooperation of entities that are engaged in ru-ral economic activities, local authorities and the initiatives of the peasants themselves, through the formation of a network of partner organizations. Partnership between the authorities, business and the rural community should be based on the use of international standards of social responsibility that will establish clear requirements for the activities of business, govern-ment and society and thereby equalize existing asymmetries in the development of rural areas.
Key words: rural areas, region, potential, diversification, asymmetry, rural area, cross-border cooperation.