COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES OF BORDER REGIONS OF RUSSIA AND THE EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION (EAEU)

Abstract

The article presents a comparative analysis of socio-economic development strategies of border regions of Russia and the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union – Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. The relevance of the study is due to the radical transformation of Russia’s foreign economic relations after 2022 and the need to rethink the role of border territories in the new geopolitical configuration. The empirical basis includes data from the Eurasian Economic Commission, results of the analysis of six regional and 57 municipal strategies, as well as materials from scientific conferences of 2024–2026. Significant differences in the institutional organisation of strategic planning are revealed: Russia demonstrates high centralisation, while Kazakhstan and Belarus exhibit more decentralised models. It is shown that Russian border regions (Belgorod, Bryansk, Astrakhan oblasts) are actively involved in integration processes, but face administrative and infrastructural constraints. At the same time, a new model of cooperation is emerging in the EAEU countries – pragmatic, technologically driven and industry-oriented – implying a transition from simple transit of goods to joint value creation. The conclusion is substantiated that further increasing the efficiency of cross-border interaction requires harmonising national spatial development strategies and expanding the powers of regional authorities in implementing the integration agenda.