NEW RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT'S FOREIGN POLICY TOWARDS EAST ASIA

Russia's chairmanship of this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum has coincided with the shift of the world policy focus on that region. As a Euro-Pacific nation, Russia needs a sustainable presence in the Asia-Pacific region - a key part of the world in the 21st century. However, it is still early to say that Russian political leaders have a holistic view of the role of Russia in the Asia-Pacific region. Rather, the perception of the increasing importance of the Asia Pacific sector of Russian foreign policy is a kind of puzzle, shaped by such components as a general understanding that the center of world economic power is shifting to the Asia-Pacific region, fears and hopes related to the rise of China, reliance on potential improvement of Russia-U.S. relations, the need to reduce tension on the Korean Peninsula as well as a number of other problems. At the same time Russia's turn eastwards will require resolute internal political action.