Cross-Border Perspectives on a North Russian Gateway

Two Norwegian social scientists examine a range of issues influencing the current economic situation in Murmansk Oblast and affecting Norway's efforts to provide economic assistance to the region. Coverage, which extends to mid-January 1999, is based on numerous field trips, interviews with local officials and residents, local press reports, and official statistical sources. Considerable attention is devoted to developments in Murmansk Oblast since the Russian financial crisis of August-September 1998, the plight of the region's closed cities, and obstacles to the implementation of economic assistance programs, such as the Barents Euro-Arctic Region initiative. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: D60, O18, R58. 8 tables, 42 references.