Vol 25, No 4 (2017)

The modern situation in the Russian Federation is characterized the quickly changing by environmental conditions which compel to search for new mechanisms at all levels of regional government. Thereupon formation of regional points of the growth which development is capable to lead to creation in region of economic system with the built in mechanisms of adaptation and fast reaction to changing surrounding conditions becomes the important tool. Purpose of the article - the analysis of various approaches to understanding of a point of growth in region economy, and also influences of regional points of growth on development of industrial region. Methodology/methods. On the basis of a hypothesis about the unbalanced or polarized economic development by the author own understanding of the concept of points of growth as local spatial zone of the economic activity presented in the form of the large enterprise of concrete branch or set of managing subjects within the limits of certain territory, possessing in essential potential of self-development and capable to provide high dynamics of economic growth in region is offered. Results. Depending on sources of economic development various types of regional points of growth are allocated: organizational, technological, resource, financial. On an example of the Chelyabinsk area features of their formation and development in industrial region are analysed. Conclusions. On the basis of the conducted research the conclusion that regional points of growth can become a basis of working out of the scheme of territorial planning of large region is drawn. It is shown that fuller detailed elaboration should find reflexing in strategy of social and economic development of municipal unions.

In the article, on the basis of the analysis of the administration of customs revenues in the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, the Republic of Armenia, general features of the mechanism of customs revenue administration in the EAEU basically and also features specific to each state were defined. The role of customs revenues in the development of foreign economic activity is substantiated. Were systematized the factors, causing threat to the economic security and the factors, that are potential for economic development of foreign economic activity. Was made a conclusion about the need of change the methodological approaches to the administration of customs revenues in the member states of the EAEU.

Article is dedicated to the role and place of USA in international trade. The author pays great attention to the transformation of the international trade leaders since 2004, when China got the entrance to the TOP-3 of merchandise trade leaders. At the same time the author described the structure of USA’ foreign trade by commodities and services. He underlined the key feature of USA’ trade partners - EU countries, Canada, Japan (developed economies) and China, Mexico (developing economies). The author pays great attention to the questions of setting and developing of “mega” integrations, such as TTP and TTIP.

Europe experienced an unprecedented peak in asylum seekers in 2015. Over a million asylum seekers entered the European Union across the Mediterranean Sea and travelled by all means of transport, including by foot, from South to Central and Northern parts of the EU. This “migration crisis” became to define much of the political-territorial atmosphere in the continent with severe impacts on the European security but, significantly, also to the way countries communicated migration related threat images into desires for re-bordering. Towards the end of 2015 and early 2016, a bit strange episode happened up in the North, when asylum seekers travelled to Northern Norway and Finland through Russian Federation. Despite locating very far from the Mediterranean and Balkan routes to Europe, the Russian North appeared to become part of so-called Arctic route to the Schengen area with over 7000 African, Middle-Eastern and Asian asylum seekers. Due to the history of very strict border management and control, very few illegal border crossings and extremely distant location, the “Arctic route episode” to Norway and Finland became matters of security in many ways. After describing the overall character of this “Arctic route episode”, we will analyse different perspectives to migration related security. A particular attention will be paid to Finland, Finnish border management and foreign citizens who applied for asylum at one of the “Eastern” border crossing points (Salla or Raja-Jooseppi) in Northern Finland. The Finnish-Russian case illustrates well the networked - but still rather specific - migratory processes in Europe. The public discussion on the episode expresses well many of the international political fears and threats migration poses for those who actually are on the move.

The past 20 years since the relocation of Kazakhstan’s capital to Astana will require understanding of the formation processes of agriculture due to the availability of government documents, involving the creation around Astana food belt. Aim. To consider in a comparative analysis of the processes taking place in agriculture in Metropolitan regions (capital) of Kazakhstan. Materials and methods. The use of factor analysis, cartographic method of research based on materials of official statistics has helped to identify trends that shape the modern agricultural development near these major cities. Results. Determined that in terms of the relief with a small relative height (Astana), and in areas of significant elevation changes (Almaty) institutional factor often determines the specificity of agricultural production on the background of planetary latitudinal zonality, which create to asymmetry in development. The impact of large cities on agriculture (local specialization), in the absence of state documents formed within the boundaries of administrative areas, and in the presence of such documents is expanded to the necessary size of the territory. It is shown the territorial vectors, the formation of agricultural production around these major cities. Shows the evaluation of the contribution of administrative units of the second order in the creation of suburban agricultural specialization.

One of the trends of regional policy in the European countries is the increasing role of cities as objects of that policy. As the analysis of literature shows, this is due to the increasing problems of the cities, and the growth of their importance for the economic development of countries (due to the presence of the creative class, the best conditions for clustering etc.). The increasing role of cities in regional policy is also a reflection of the ongoing decentralization of decision-making. The analysis of the regulatory framework and statistical data shows that in Russia there are similar processes, in particular, the development of large urban agglomerations. Significant federal support for socioeconomic development of Moscow already exists. However, these processes in Russia are associated with a number of problems: lack of concrete steps in the implementation of policies of urban development, the deepening of the territorial disparities as a result of decentralization, and non-transparency of federal policy toward Moscow.

The article analyzes foreign influences on energy efficiency of such factors as raising the level of energy production from renewable sources and introducing smart technologies in power networks. Econometric analysis of experience in increasing energy efficiency of the United States, China, India, and Germany in comparison with Russia has been performed using a number of hypotheses to construct models. The necessity of transition to a new energy structure based on active introduction of energy efficient equipment, advanced energy and information and communication technologies, renewable energy sources, complex systems and services of intellectual energy built on an open network architecture is substantiated.