The article describes a framework conception of regional competitiveness. The notion of regional competitiveness as well as approaches to the classification of competitiveness factors are considered in detail. The author elaborates a set of indicators of regional competitiveness. The article also dis-cusses three groups of factors which can influence the competitiveness of any region.

The article deals with the regionalization of social processes and their specific manifestations in the post-Soviet space. According to the author, regionalization is developing at four levels-international (macroregional), subregional, intraregional and on country levels. The most important one is the international level.  Specific features of regionalization at each level of the post-Soviet space are described. The author draws a conclusion that the post-Soviet space is the epicenter of regionalization in contemporary world.

This article focuses on the historic prerequisites and forms of international cooperation in the Baltic region (“Baltic cooperation”).  According to the author, Baltic Europe is being formed as a single administrative, economic, cultural and infrastructural area, which could become a new economic and cultural center of Europe. Special emphasis is given to policies and strategies of the EU in the Baltic Sea region.

This article is devoted to the “Northern Dimension” initiative of the EU which also includes North-West Russia, Norway and Iceland.  It is noted that the “Northern Dimension” in the theoretical perspective can be considered as part of strategic multi-level interactions between member-states of the EU and Russia. On this basis, the authors analyze implications and effects of the strategic interdependence of all the EU-Russia relation levels.

The article describes the place of St Petersburg in international cooperation in the Baltic Sea region and the role of the Baltic region as one of the priorities of the international relations of the city.  The authors show continual attention of Saint-Petersburg to developing international relations in the Baltic Sea region. The article indicates one of the most important areas of international cooperation – the participation of the city in the renewed Northern Dimension policy.

Since the accession of Poland and Lithuania to the EU, the nature, forms and content of their border cooperation with the Kaliningrad region have fundamentally changed. There is a tendency towards strengthening the neighborhood policy. The already gained extensive and varied experience of the participation of the Kaliningrad region in the IN-TERREG Programme contributed to the socio-economic development of the region. The new financial tools should be linked to the regional development strategies of the neighboring territories.  Efficient use of both Russian and the EU funds will help develop a new technology for regional development of North-West Russia.

The article presents a geographic analysis of applying for grants and allocation of funds in the framework of the “European Economic Area” and “Norway” programmes in the territory of Lithuania in 2004-2009. Priority sectors of cooperation are identified.

The influence of the events related to the transfer of the remains and the monument to Soviet soldiers in central Tallinn on the Russian cargo transit flows through the Baltic Sea region is described.  The author shows that there has been a redistribution of Russian cargoes and their shipment through the ports of Latvia and Lithuania lately. According to the author, the positive dynamics of Russian-Latvian and Russian-Lithuanian relations should be sustained, proceeding from the assumption that sooner or later, the logic of economic cooperation may prove stronger than political considerations.

The author identifies trends and variations of the socio-cultural identity and integration of Russians in Latvia. According to the author, since the middle 1990s, two trends have been recognized - first, the “ingrowing” of ethnic Russians into the life of independent Latvia, and second, forming their new identity. The article presents a number of factors hampering the integration of ethnic Russians into Latvian society. Variations and options of socio-cultural identity and integration (or assimilation) of the Russian population of Latvia are shown.