vlad.tribnet.com / Issue #146 / Business / Reading article...

Continuing its efforts to develop trade in Primorye, the Washington State Trade Association is finding economic opportunity in ecological conservation.

During a coastal ecology symposium held between Washington's Huxley College of Environmental Science and Far Eastern State University last week, participants focused on long-term benefits rather than short-term profits, according to Tim Douglas, Director of the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development.

They discussed topics such as natural resources in Vladivostok, developing water-oil separation equipment and initiating environmental education programs, Douglas said.

Douglas and the businesses he assists hope that cleaning up the Russian Far East will lead to added fiscal riches, as well as environmental ones.

One idea is to clean up Vladivostok's water pipes and fix the city's sewage mess. Ninety-five percent of the city's sewage now goes into Amursky Bay untreated. And though these investments may not line Washington's pockets with Russian profits for now, Douglas hopes that they would help the Far East to concentrate on new ventures and not old problems.

"The best thing for the United States right now would be for life to get better for Russians, for them to produce and buy more," he said. "All we can do is support them and help wherever we can."

Douglas is encouraging Washington companies to assist the Far East in other ways as well. The Washington Trade Association is considering technology-sharing programs. The state's timber industry is passing on knowledge about reforestation. And the two sides are swapping expertise in business management.

"I've met with attorneys and banks involved in various training programs," Douglas said. "[In the hotel industry,] Russians send interns to review services and financial practices -- not to take on the way it's done in the U.S., but to pick up desired methods, and adapt."

At the same time, Washington is still exporting processed food, dairy products and construction materials to the Far East. In addition, Washington companies eventually hope to use the port of Vladivostok as a storage facility for shipments to and from China. Douglas hopes that this sustained interest in the area will help businesses to establish contacts and create partnerships, increasing profits for both countries in the future.

"Diligence in finding a good partner is one of our most valuable services," he said. "A lot of businesses want qualified, dependable partners right now. ... Trade is a two-way street. We're doing everything we can to get it moving in both directions."