Your Excellency Evo Morales Ayma, President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Your Excellency Alvaro Garcia Linera, Vice President of Bolivia and President of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly of Bolivia, Honorable Members of the Legislative Assembly,

(by Dinusha Wijesinghe ) In the wake of the Ukrainian crisis and rising tensions between China and Vietnam in the South
China Sea, Russia and China signed a historic gas deal that will bolster the regional relationship between the two countries for the next thirty years. While Russia and China have proven to be a cooperative force in global politics and security, as they share similar interests and ideologies in this arena, the neighboring countries have historically faltered in creating effective economic  relations.Both Russia and China have prioritized looking to Western capital and markets for economic development and stability instead of looking to each other. The landmark gas deal between Russia and China, however, could change this global dynamic indicating the pervasive rise of a multipolar world.