The Shift of Russia’s Foreign Economic Cooperation Vector to the East: Economic Integration with China, India, and Asian Countries

The article analyzes the strategies Russia is using to deepen its economic ties with Asian countries, with close attention on China and India. The study analyzes ten years worth of trade statistics to reveal who Russia exports the majority of its goods to and where it gets most of its imports from and finds that energy products are its main export and technological goods are mostly bought from abroad. Models are developed in the report based on growth rates in the past and by taking into account periods of instability. It also highlights issues arising from imbalanced trading, challenges faced by institutions and why countries must diversify their exports and cooperate more closely in the region. More attention is paid to the ways China and India can work with Russia on technological advancements while purchasing more energy and industrial goods from it. The paper offers suggestions for improving Russia's competitiveness and self-reliance in the Asian market.