63

On October 9, 2025, the 46th All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference "South Pacific Region in the Past and Present: History, Economy, Politics, Culture" was held. It was organized by the Center for Southeast Asia, Australia and Oceania of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

IMEMO emploees spoke at the event within the framework of Panel 3 "Politics and Economy":

• Alexander Rogozhin, Head of the Group of Economic Problems of the Center for Development and Modernization Studies, Cand. of Science (Economics), presented a paper "Characteristics of Trump's Policy in the Pacific Region". In his presentation, the speaker emphasized that active engagement with the Indo-Pacific region has been a priority for US administrations over the past decade and has broad bipartisan support. However, the discrepancy between Trump's declared policy and his actual actions toward virtually all countries in the region came as an unpleasant surprise to leaders in the Indo-Pacific region. Trump's actions (cutting staff of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), suspending US foreign aid, imposing tariffs on small and vulnerable island economies, and declaring a reduced interest in climate change, priority for island states) have had a clearly negative impact on perceptions of the United States. During Trump's first term, the United States formulated a "Pacific Path" concept for dialogue with Pacific states based on a commitment to consensus and mutual respect of partners. However, by the beginning of Trump's second term, the construction and maintenance of real relations had clearly diverged in practice. By the end of 2024, it became clear that most of the commitments made by the United States at the US-Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) summits would not be fulfilled. This situation contrasts sharply with the strong performance of China in the region across all areas, from trade to cultural diplomacy. The US administration's actions after the first 100 days of the Trump administration in office shocked the Pacific states.
• Egor Besedin, Senior Research Assistant of the Section for New Challenges in South and Southeast Asia of the Center of the Indo-Pacific Region, presented a paper on the topic "Blue Economy and Small Island States of Oceania: Potential, Initiatives and Challenges". The presentation examined the application of the "Blue Economy" concept in small island states of the Pacific, where ocean resources are a primary source of income and a factor in sustainable development. Special attention was paid to the regional "Strategy 2050 for the Blue Pacific Continent," national programs of Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, Kiribati, and Palau, as well as examples of large marine reserves and innovative renewable energy projects. Climate vulnerability, illegal fishing and dependence on foreign investment were also discussed. In conclusion, it was emphasized that the Blue Economy is becoming not only a growth model for island countries, but also an instrument for survival and adaptation to global changes. However, the realization of its potential directly depends on the degree of regional cooperation and international support.