The Tumen River Project: Myths and Realities

Abstract

The article states the problem of underestimating the potential of the Greater Tumen Initiative (previously the Tumen River Area Development Program) as a mechanism of multilateral economic cooperation in Northeast Asia. An attempt is made to uncover the reasons for the widely accepted in the country’s political, business and expert circles inadequate view of the Tumen River Project, the form of realization of which was the Tumen Area Development Program, launched under the auspices of UNDP in 1991. The chronicle of intergovernmental consultations during the stage of the program formulation in the period of 1990—1994 is reproduced based on the original sources. Presented is the original concept of the project, possible models for its implementation, levels of its spatial location, regional development strategy

Keywords

• Tumen River Project
• Tumen River Area Development Program
• Greater Tumen Initiative
• United Nations Development Program
• regional economic cooperation
• China
• Russia
• North Korea
• Northeast Asia