Vocabulary Study

Explain the meaning of the following words and word-combinations as they are used in the texts. Translate them into Russian:

a bilateral forum	a catalyst
to emerge	customs clearance time of marine cargoes
geographic proximity	to repeal the decree
to encourage commercial cooperation	a shipping trade route
to convene bilateral initiatives and annual meetings	to maintain critical access

Reading

Read the passages about the Russian American Pacific Partnership, its history and results. Be ready to summarize it and answer comprehension questions.

The Russian American Pacific Partnership (RAPP) is a bilateral forum engaging the private-sector and government to identify and address barriers to business and commerce between the Russian East and the United States. Committed RAPP volunteers, private-sector partners, and government representatives collaborate to expand opportunity between Russia’s East and the western United States.

The U.S. and the North Pacific Rim represent a leading economic region in the world; rich in resources and human capital with prospects for tremendous growth. As economic relations between the United States and Russia accelerate, more opportunities emerge for greater cooperation between the Russian East and the Western U.S. It is RAPP’s purpose to support and promote these opportunities through public and private partnerships for mutual benefit.

History of RAPP

The Russian American Pacific Partnership (RAPP) –formerly the U.S. West Coast–Russian Far East Ad-Hoc Working Group – was established in 1994 to encourage commercial cooperation between the U.S. West Coast and the Russian Far East. Russian leaders selected the Russian Far East as a development priority for the nation, and saw the U.S. West Coast as the natural partner, based on geographic proximity and the wealth of common industry-sectors and similar histories.

Initially funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce and more recently by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), RAPP now increasingly depends on private sector sponsorships. RAPP’s Secretariats operate from the Foundation for Russian American Economic Cooperation (FRAEC) in Seattle, Washington, and the “Interregional Association for Economic Development of the Far East and Trans-Baikal Regions” of Khabarovsk, Russia. For over ten years, the program has regularly convened bilateral initiatives and annual meetings which attract ever increasing numbers of business and government leaders. RAPP continues to be the leading forum for business dialogue between the Russian East and the U.S. West.

Participating Regions

As commerce develops, RAPP seeks to integrate the greater involvement of all U.S. states with activities in the Russian East. Among active regions are:

United States	Russian Federation
Alaska California Colorado Hawaii Idaho Oregon Texas Washington	Amur Region Republic of Buryatia Zabaikalsk Territory Chukotka Autonomous Region Jewish Autonomous Region Kamchatka Territory Khabarovsk Krai Magadan Region Primorskiy Krai Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Sakhalin Region

Positive Results

RAPP is a catalyst for cooperation and change. Over the course of its activities, RAPP has achieved the following:

• Launched CLEAR-PAC initiative in 1998, a pilot project with Russian customs decreasing Customs clearance time of marine cargoes in select Russian Ports from an average 9 days to 1.5 days.

• Participated in advocating against the Sakhalin Region Border Zone Decree of March, 2003. The decree was repealed in July, 2003, two-days before the 8th Annual RAPP Meeting in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

• Established study of a new shipping trade route “East-by-West Corridor” between the Northern China and the U.S. Northwest via Russian ports in Primorye.

• Hosted annual working group meetings consistently over the last  13 years with over 4,500 participants.

• Distinguished itself as a permanent bilateral public-private forum between Russia and the US with a unique regional focus.

• Maintains critical access to, and credibility among, high policy-level partners on all sides of the dialogue.

• Enjoys continued support from the private-sector and among senior government officials and agencies of both nations, including: U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Western States, U.S. Senators and Representatives, U.S. Embassy in Moscow and Consulate in Vladivostok; Russian Federation Ministry for Economic Development, Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian Duma Deputies and Federal Council Members, Russian Governors, Mayors and regional associations, Russian Embassy and Consulates in the United States, and many others.

(from http://www.state.ak.us)

Comprehension Questions:

• What are the goals of the RAPP?

• When was the RAPP established?

• Enumerate participating regions in the RAPP.

• Which positive results has the activity of the RAPP brought?