Japan and Europe: Negotiating the Russian Relationship

This seventh seminar in the 2009 seminar series, ‘Changing World Views: International Challenges for the UK and Japan’, reflected on relations with Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. In renegotiating international relations in the region, the challenges have been many and continue to dominate diplomatic agendas. Official mechanisms for cooperation exist through the European Union and NATO as well as through Russia’s membership in the Council of Europe and the Group of Eight. Economic links and energy issues are of central importance. Yet, the 2008 Georgia crisis threatened a renewal of old fears.

Summary

Territorial disputes, particularly related to the Southern Kurile Islands/Northern Territories, have also cast a lingering shadow over Russo-Japanese relations. Such unfinished business, however, does not belie the fact of Japan’s energy needs and extensive economic ties with Russia. The speakers considered the legacy of the past and the future direction of relations with Russia in addressing these areas of conflict and cooperation.

 

The first speaker, Peter Gysin, gave a résumé of both Europe-Russia historical relations and energy relations. He began by setting out three underlying points to do with Russia’s history, identity and governance which have a bearing on Russia’s current international trade and energy relations: the development of literacy and Christianity occurred later in Russia than in other parts of Europe; the Russian preoccupation with how European or not she is, her vulnerability as a country without natural borders and differing interpretations of history from west Europe – (eg “Great Patriotic War” not ‘World War II’) affect her relations with the rest of Europe and ‘near abroad’ (Poland, Georgia, Ukraine) and ‘further abroad’ (less personal); and the Russian tradition does not seem to lend itself to western notions of the rule of independent law in the political/civic or multilateral sphere or commercial sphere.

 

Gysin then went on to discuss energy issues, demonstrating the energy relationship to be mutual;

Russia needs EU money for its gas and EU (and other) investment to improve her pipeline systems and develop her gas fields, just as much as the EU needs Russian gas. Europe’s key aim is to achieve gas security through a choice of sources and routes, preferably underpinned by rules, outside and inside the EU including the “southern corridor” to Europe for non-Russian Caspian gas. Russia is to remain a major but not domineering partner as the hope is to improve physical links within the EU and hopefully attain “one EU voice” on energy matters. Russia’s apparent aim, on the other hand, is to secure demand for Russian gas by increasing the choice of export pipelines but not permitting Azerbaijan/Central Asian gas to transit the Russian pipeline system (as ECT ratification would in part require), buy into European downstream assets and limit the activities and shareholdings of foreign investors.

 

Dr Julie Gilson, the second speaker, gave a general overview of Japan-EU strategies towards Russia, discussing the significance of their bilateral relationship, and outlined some of the problems of dealing with Russia today.

 

Since their agreement at The Hague in 1991, Japan and the EU have attempted to confront jointly a range of contemporary challenges in international relations. In 1991 Russia loomed large; in the wake of the fall of the Berlin Wall it was anticipated that democratisation would take root throughout the former Soviet Union and that Russia would consolidate relations with its European neighbours in particular. Today, Russia presents a very different picture: Putin is steering Russia further away from democracy and away from Europe, with a view to developing closer linkages with East Asia, notably China.

 

The presentation dealt with how Japan and the EU have confronted these challenges and whether their joint approach to building multilateral strategies contributes positively to managing this difficult neighbour.

About the contributors