Marwan Iskander, a Lebanese economist who published eleven books on the economies in the Middle East and advised three Lebanese prime minister has dared to deal with his latest, well-researched and informative book, The Bear Turns Tiger - Resurgent Russia "on Russian territory. The title means as much as translated into German: "The bear is a Tiger - Emerging Russia Officially Iskander started the publication of his book on Tuesday WHILE a reception at the Bristol Hotel in Beirut.
"There is no shortage of books and reports on Russia," Iskander writes in the introduction of the book. "But the Russian spirit of the country can not be captured without a visit and the blending of the impressions with academics, ordinary Russians, church leaders, businessmen and political leaders."
with massive mineral wealth, a well educated population and nearly 17 million square kilometers of land mass, Russia is now around 18 years after the collapse of communism, a leading nation within the advanced industrial economies.
The book describes the major stations that ran through Russia's political, beginning with Peter the Great, about the communist revolution and the fall of the last communist ruler.
Iskander indicates that the book is for interested Arab as well as Western readers.
"Statistically, Russia demanded attention. It is the world's largest country, the size of a continent which extends over eleven time zones - nearly twice the distance Paris and New York - of St. Petersburg in the west to Vladivostok in the east of the country expressed to above the border with North Korea, "wrote the author. In addition, Russia has
very large oil wealth. "The global oil industry started in Russia, not in the United States of America, with an oil well on the Caspian Sea, which was drilled in 1846, 13 years before the first American source successfully drilled in Pennsylvania. "says Iskander.
But the global credit crisis, which first emerged in 2007 in the United States and then poured over many countries, has also met to some extent the Russian economy, although the country according to the author, has all the tools to tackle the crisis in their own country.
"The international financial and economic crisis which Russia, with low oil prices and a large capital outflow has hit hard, will strengthen federal loans," said Iskander. "Therefore, because the federal government can contribute with all their resources, political orientation and international weight of a gradual solution to the crisis, while providing significant assistance to the poorest voters in the Federation," he added.
away from its economic power, Russia proved to be a key player on the international stage, called out on many occasions even the authority of the VSA.
"It took until the mistake of Georgia to Russia to move to military action and the international financial crisis which the VSA prompted Moscow to offer a front seat in world affairs. Russia wanted to regain what it has always: the status of a superpower, even if it occupies in the near future in second place behind the United States of America. The bear has been transformed into a tiger, " said the author.
