Building tunnels, what is the end of it all?

Building tunnels like Channel Tunnel needs among other things the political will to do so. The link between France and UK by the Channel Tunnel took decades to materialise because of political and economic concerns. Economically, it isn’t yet a success stories for investors as it is still, plunging into financial trouble. The Gibraltar link between Morocco and Spain through a tunnel has taken decades to contemplate about. The project has many times been put off for geological and economic reasons. Now this project has been revived as it was reported by BBC correspondent Richard Hamilton.

As for the hoped for link between Russia and the USA through a tunnel, both countries have what to benefit from as it will provide for the development of the regions around which the tunnel will be built. This will depend on the level of the economic relationship between the two countries. But now Russia seems not to have good entente with the EU, economically speaking. These economic blocs need to improve their economic relations further.

EU and Russia need each other economically. Both have great potentials for an integrated economy. Russia has the huge energy resources, if exploited in partnership with the EU, can ease dependence on it from other parts of the world like the Middle East. EU has the capital and the expertise for grandiose investments in Russia. One step like Russia becoming a member of the World Trade Organization, and why not a member of the EU, can help the establishment of harmonious mutual relationships.

When Russia becomes fully integrated with the US and the EU economy, the tunnel will have meaning for all. If the economic relations are stagnant, it will be just a hole in which money was thrown away. Its economic difficulties will be a disaster for investors worse than that experienced by investors in the Channel tunnel.

Up to now a link with Russia and the USA and another between Morocco and Spain is a wishful thinking. Tunnel links between the three continents, Africa, Europe and America still need decades to materialise in face of political and economic uncertainty.