By Tom Armbruster
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 17, 2010
Get ready, Honolulu, for an influx of Russian spies. I mean that in a good way.
As consul general in Vladivostok, Russia, I have watched this Russian Pacific port get ready to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2012.
For Vladivostok, it means new bridges, hotels, an airport renovation, possibly casinos and new factories. It's a big deal. It is like hosting the Olympics.
It is great to see the same excitement here in Honolulu as the city prepares for APEC 2011. There is a lot at stake here, too. To show the world that Hawaii is a place for pleasure and business, and a real international crossroads worthy of big time international investment, is important. And spreading a little aloha is always a good thing.
But consider what is at stake for Vladivostok. This is a city that was closed to the outside world—even closed to Russians—until the 1990s. When Vladivostok finally removed the requirement for special visas and permits, investment rushed in—much of it from the U.S. West Coast. Then the ruble crashed in 1998 and a lot of American investors pulled up stakes from the Russian Far East and few came back.
In fact, there are not even direct flights between the Russian Far East and the U.S. But Russia has a lot to offer. Gold, silver, oil, coal, fish, forests and even wild tigers are all part of the Russian Far East's make-up.
APEC 2012 is Russia's big chance to re-open its door—its back door if you will—to the Pacific and to the world.
The cultural part, Russia will have no problem with. Russians can sing, dance and entertain with the best of them.
But integrating into international and regional organizations is the higher challenge for Russia, and it is that goal that is in the best interest of the U.S. Russia can be a troublesome partner and neighbor, but, let's face it, Russia has come a long way and is a lot more integrated into the global community than could have been imagined a generation ago. And as always, Russia is too important a country to disregard. So here's my request, Honolulu. If you happen to meet a tourist, say with a furry hat and who speaks English without the benefit of articles, please be nice. Vladivostok is going to have a tough act to follow, but you can be sure it will be taking careful notes on how you do it.
Best of luck.
Tom Armbruster, the U.S. consul general in Vladivostok, Russia, is a career foreign service officer and former KGMB and Hawaii Public Radio reporter.
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