Foreign Affairs: Analysis
18 february 2015
Beijing-Islamabad: Continued “All-Weather” Dialogue
On February 12, 2015 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid a two-day visit to Islamabad. On the first day, he met with Advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan's National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, spoke at a press conference, and held talks with President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussein. On the second day, he held a detailed discussion with Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif.
Trends for 2015, Economic recession, Russian gas strategy, American chairmanship in the Arctic council
With a little delay (which we can blame on winter holidays break) RIAC is back with the monthly international publications digest. Here you will find fifteen trends for 2015 from Spanish CIDOB, a number publications on the future of the European project, some reports on the negative effects of the ongoing economic recession due to the declining oil prices and crumbling Russian gas strategy in the light of the Ukrainian crisis. A note on the coming American chairmanship in the Arctic council and never-ending conflict in Sudan make a close-up to this digest.
17 february 2015
Friends not War – Where a Comma?
Russia and Georgia need to realize that achieving friendly relations should be their number one priority. It is an extremely difficult path to take, but it is the correct one. We need to overcome existing stereotypes, step outside out of these historical and geographical limitations and break down the negative ideologies. The question is: will we be able to do this?
16 february 2015
Boko Haram and the future of Nigeria
On February 8, 2015, Nigeria’s electoral commission decided to delay the presidential elections, previously scheduled for February 14, 2015, by six weeks due to security concerns. The commission stated that the army was already too overstretched in fighting Boko Haram and would be unable to provide the necessary security during the voting process. Despite criticism from the opposition party All Progressives Congress (APC), which defined it a “setback for democracy”, it is clear that Nigeria is facing very hard times in dealing with Boko Haram.
Ivan Timofeev: Six Questions that the Minsk Agreements Raise
The full text of the Minsk agreement signed on February 12, 2015 has been published. The text, entitled “the Package of Measures on the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements”, is without a doubt a step forward. But there are still a number of questions that remain unanswered.
13 february 2015
Russian–Mexican Relations: Traditional Foundations and the Need for Change
Mexico is a relatively powerful player in contemporary global politics. Russia and Mexico have much in common in terms of their participation in world affairs. However, the model of Russian–Mexican relations is still in flux; it has not been clearly defined and leaves much room for improvement. In fact, models of relations between the two countries are inherently asymmetrical: the political, diplomatic and cultural components outweigh trade and economic relations in terms of volume and scale. This report examines the main development trends in bilateral relations between Russia and Mexico and offers recommendations for how they can improved.
Facing Difficult Choices: The South Caucasus between Russia and the European Union
Elkhan Nuriyev is a global energy associate at the Brussels Energy Club.
The mounting tension over Ukraine has introduced numerous dangers to the security situation in the South Caucasus. These negative ramifications are further exacerbated by the fact that Russia holds the key to resolving conflicts in the post-Soviet realm, especially in the absence of greater Western assertiveness. But Moscow and Brussels are caught up in geopolitical competition over the region. Such continued competition prolongs the cycles of instability and could sooner or later spill over into Russia and the EU. Devising a coherent strategy for the region that focuses on an integrated, coordinated approach and recognizes the shared interests of Russia, the EU, and the South Caucasus countries is a pressing challenge that remains unmet.
13 february 2015
Japan-US-China Triangle and Security in East Asia: a Triangle or an Axis?
The struggle for offshore resources has intensified in East Asia, and Japan-China tensions seem of particular concern. Due to its alliance treaty with Japan, the United States is also involved in the conflict. The Japanese Ministry of Defense has, for the first time ever, qualified the situation around the Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands as "neither peace nor war, but some ‘grey zone’". The situation is unfolding against a backdrop of a quantitative and qualitative improvement in US-Chinese relations, as the two countries’ combined account for almost one-third of the world's GDP.
International Events of 2014
2014 was an eventful year. It was clear from its very beginning that Ukraine would be high on the international agenda. However, few could imagine that the Ukrainian crisis would dominate world events. Developments in the Transatlantic region and in Central and Eastern Europe depended a lot on what was happening in Ukraine. But there were some events that passed unnoticed behind the rhetoric about Ukraine.
12 february 2015
Russia-India-China: An Intricate Love Triangle to Counter the United States?
The meeting of Russian, Indian and Chinese foreign ministers in Beijing early February seems to have been of much greater significance than most of their previous meetings. As a matter of fact, it took place almost immediately after President Obama’s trip to India, where he was the Chief Guest at the traditional January 26 parade to mark Republic Day (NB, President Putin was the first foreign Chief Guest back in 2007).
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15 february 2015
Dmitry Trenin
13 february 2015
Dmitry Trenin
10 february 2015
Sergei Karaganov
08 february 2015
Andrei Kortunov
06 february 2015
Andrei Kortunov
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