What is there to think about business in Vladivostok, Russia?

I spent the Summer of 2004 in Vladivostok for an internship with the Arbitrazhnii Court of the Primorksii Krai. The memory and impression of the city itself etched most deeply in my mind is how close to a world class city it could have been. If the glass were half full, it may yet become so. The mayoral elections were conducted during July, 2004; the telephone poles, city walls, and may every other location that could hold an election poster, did. Every single street corner had five or six college students who mobbed passerby's with pamphlets portraying a futuristic, world class city, which would be the inexorable result of the candidate's election. In the end, and to the chagrin of most, the candidate whose past may or may not have included criminal activity took the day. That occurred after the other candidate was forced to withdraw.

The details have faded with time, and my memory about the specific string of developments giving rise to the election may well be incorrect. I am always looking for clarification and another point of view on such things that are so complex, not to mention, in another language. It is difficult to look at Russian politics without a great degree of skepticism, especially when you read these kind of articles in the daily news wires.

However, there are always reasons for optimism, I suppose. In fact, I recently had a conversation with an attorney in Seattle whose career has emphasized matters in Russia, including foreign direct investment, licensing, and small business matters. He was one of the very few with whom I have spoken who was encouraged by the past and positive about the future.

A delegation from Washington State Bar Association is currently attempting to develop a stronger relationship to the bar in Vladivostok. Lawyers on both side of the ocean are as busy as ever bring the two regions closer. The possible results are too speculative to explore now, but as in most things there are reasons to be both optimistic and hesitant.