Russia and many other transition countries are now facing the challenges of opening up, restructuring, and modernizing their economies, which requires addressing numerous institutional weaknesses and supply-side distortions. From a regional perspective, drawing on the experience of other reforming countries, the papers examine these issues. Aspects addressed include the implications of trade and capital flows, the process of labor market reform, financial market development, productivitiy growth, and innovation dynamics. The dynamics of the reform process are also studied in the context of new political economy models.

After a decade of sharp economic decline, Russia switched to an impressive period of economic growth. Yet the economic record is still mixed, and many key problems remain unresolved, both in the economic sphere and the political system. The focus is on economic dynamics in Russia, reasons for its hesitant opening up process as well as the special role of the natural resources sector which is expected to continue to grow. This analysis highlights the existing deficiencies of the Russian economic system and raises doubts about the sustainability of growth. Twin focus is on required reforms and endogenous forces that impair liberalizing trade and investment in an orderly way. Russian discussions on WTO and other international topics are reflected.

This volume offers analyses of the basic tendencies and the problems of Russia, Eastern Europe, Transcaucasia, Central Asia, and the Baltic states. It covers the Russian economic model; the rates and proportions of the Russian economy; its real, financial, external, and social sectors; investment and fixed assets; human capital; and economic policy. East European, Transcaucasian, Central Asian and Baltic economies are then analysed using the same perspectives. This allows a comparison of the economic progress of the post-Soviet countries, highlighting the differences and the similarities between them. This book will be useful for students, professors, and businessmen interested in cooperation with the post-Soviet countries.

This interdisciplinary study offers a comprehensive analysis of the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Providing full historical context and drawing on a wide range of literature, this book explores the continuous economic and social transformation of the post-socialist world. While the future is yet to be determined, understanding the present phase of transformation is critical. The book’s core exploration evolves along three pivots of competitive economic structure, institutional change, and social welfare. The main elements include analysis of the emergence of the socialist economic model; its adaptations through the twentieth century; discussion of the 1990s market transition reforms; post-2008 crisis development; and the social and economic diversity in the region today. With an appreciation for country specifics, the book also considers the urgent problems of social policy, poverty, income inequality, and labor migration. Transition Economies will aid students, researchers and policy makers working on the problems of comparative economics, economic development, economic history, economic systems transition, international political economy, as well as specialists in post-Soviet and Central and Eastern European regional studies.

The area of Russia, Central and Eastern Europe remains an area of massive economic and political upheaval. Russia has transformed itself into a rich energy producing country with no republics or satellites to provide free energy for . The former republics and satellites are saddled buying energy at market prices with emigration problems, elections, EU membership drives and a wide variety of other activities.

Anders Åslund is known to make bold predictions that initially arouse controversy but soon become common wisdom. In his book Gorbachev's Struggle for Economic Reform (1989), he foresaw the collapse of the Soviet political and economic system. When others saw little but chaos, he depicted the success of Russia's market transformation in How Russia Became a Market Economy (1995). After Russia's financial crisis of 1998, although most observers declared the market economic experiment a failure, Åslund foresaw market economic success (Building Capitalism, 2002). In How Capitalism Was Built, Second Edition, he asks - and answers in depth for the twenty-one countries he investigates: • Why did communism collapse? • Why did Russia not choose gradual reforms like China did? • Wherein lies the relative success of postcommunist transformation? • How did the oligarchs arise and decline vis-...-vis authoritarian leaders? Anyone who wants to understand the often confusing postcommunist dramas and to obtain an early insight into the future will find this intellectually stimulating book useful. The second edition includes updates to each chapter as well as new chapters on the impact of the global financial crisis and the European Union on the region.

Although there are many opportunities for the EU-15 and the accession countries they face the negative spillovers from the Russian transition crisis, which is analyzed here. Based on a broad analysis the ingredients of a successful transformation strategy are identified.