Uneven Development of Economic Interaction across the Finnish-Russian Border

Abstract

Two Finnish geographers examine the impact of the post-Cold War opening of the Finnish-Russian border on the level of economic interaction between Finland and Russia. They explore the role played by institutional and structural factors in the development of trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) between the two countries, as well as behavioral factors such as the attitudes of enterprise managers and workers. Insights into the nature of obstacles to Finnish-Russian trade and FDI are revealed by surveys of Russian workers and case studies of Finnish/Nordic companies doing business in Russia.