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South Ossetia at the crossroads
03.09.2010
Andrey Areshev, political scientist, PhD (History)
Moscow's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in August 2008 was an important political step towards a brand new status of the Russian Federation in post-Soviet societies. Over the past two years this step has been thoroughly analyzed by various think tanks dealing with the future of the Caucasus. So, what do we have in South Ossetia?
No doubt, the republic has undergone dramatic changes since the autumn of 2008-first of all, in terms of security, to be more exact-quality of security services. The citizens of Tskhinval no longer have to hide to escape shells fired from the Georgian villages (and this is what had been taking place at least 1-2 times a week long before the Georgian invasion two years ago). However, a threat of a new attack remains: some observers think it might be a series of provocations which yet can be ignored (by the official Moscow as well) if take place simultaneously with other attacks in Southern Caucasus and the Middle East.
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Iraq War from a Historical Perspective
03.09.2010
Alexander Frolov, publicist
In accord with the withdrawal timetable rolled out back in 2008, B. Obama ordered the pullout of the majority of the US forces from Iraq. The plan is that only some 50,000 US servicemen will stay to train the Iraqi army and security services. Now comes the time to assess the campaign that took seven years, the gains drawn from it by the US, and the repercussions it had globally.
US President F. Roosevelt's notorious remark concerning a Nicaraguan dictator - “Somoza may be a son of a bitch, but he's our son of a bitch” - epitomizes the political philosophy that guides the endeavors of Washington to promote democracy and its choice of partners among country leaders. It is an open secret that there was an epoch when S. Hussein used to be “our son of a bitch” to the US, and it was his falling out of favor with his former patrons rather than any sins he might be guilty of that he eventually paid for with his life. Washington simply decided to help the US business solve some of its strategic problems by punishing the defiant Iraqi leader who sat on vast oil reserves.
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Surrender of Japan: the end of World War II
02.09.2010
Taras Dyachenko, publicist
Today marks the 65th anniversary since the end of World War II. On 14 August, 1945, Emperor Hirohito issued the Imperial Rescript of Surrender announcing that Japan accepted the terms set down in the Potsdam Declaration. On 15 August the country’s Foreign Ministry sent a telegram to its envoy in Switzerland asking him to inform the governments of the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain and China on the decision made by the Japanese Emperor. At the time the Japanese troops started to surrender, though more than two weeks remained before the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed on board USS Missouri battleship on 2 September.
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U.S. Strategy In Eurasia And Drug Production In Afghanistan
01.09.2010
Tiberio Graziani, Editor-in-chief of Eurasia - Rivista di studi geopolitici (Journal of Geopolitical Studies)
 The following analysis offers a geopolitical approach aimed at understanding the relationship between U.S. worldwide strategy and the presence of North American forces in Afghanistan. U.S. penetration in the Eurasian landmass is highlighted in special relation to the Central Asian area, considered as the underbelly of Eurasia in the context of U.S. geopolitics. In order to identify the real players in the Afghan theatre, certain general concepts used in geopolitical and international relations studies have been applied. The main characteristics of potential candidates able to deal with the Afghan drug question are discussed. Among these a particular role devolves on Iran, Russia and China. In any event, due to the interrelation between the U.S. strategy in Eurasia and the stabilization of Afghanistan, the latter can be fully accomplished only in the framework of a Eurasian integration process.
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Public Diplomacy In Life
01.09.2010
Elena Ribalova, journalist (Karelia)
Kondopoga prepares for the International cooperation and national diplomacy as a civil society and territory development factor international conference to be held on September 3 and 4 to generalize experience of cooperation between the friendship societies and foreign countries (Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Russia), strengthening of their role in development of international cooperation, territories and civil society and organized at the support of Kondopoga metropolitan region Administration and the Government of Karelia by the Karelia-Norway republican friendship movement, the Kondopoga – Herrliberg Friendship Society local territorial public organization, international partner friendship organizations.
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An issue of the journal "International Affairs"
READ:
Vadim Lukov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Belgium, wrote about Russian-belgian economic relations since the time of "the Lord Novgorod, the Great" to nowadays.
Alexander Fomenko, political scientist, delegate of State Duma of Fourth convocation, Chairman of Constant committee of the Inter-parliamentary Union on stable development, finance and trade (2005–2007), examines impetuous changing of "financial architecture" in Asia, the ways of economic development of China and Russia.
Alexey Fenenko, a leading researcher at the Institute of problems of international security (Russian Academy of Sciences), examines the significance of nuclear tests in the system of strategic stability.
Alexander Bessmertnych, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, President of international association of foreign policy, Chairman of the world Council of former ministers of foreign affairs, founding member of the World political Forum, vice-president of international movement "The Eastern dimension", member of the presidium of Russian Academy of social sciences, honorary professor of Moscow State University, tells about the one of the most outstanding soviet diplomats of the present days A.F.Dobrynin (who turned to 90 years old), tells about the time of the great breakthroughs in foreign policy, performed largely owing to A.F.Dobrynin`s work.
Alexander Udaltsov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Slovak Republic, writes about Russia and Slovakia on the way to organizing a new general economic partnership.
Victor Sibilev, the deputy director of Department on work with compatriots for abroad of MFA of Russia, Ph.D. in History, Michael Bragin, the correspondent for the journal "International Affairs" in Mexico, — write about regional conferences of compatriots in Australia and South and North America, which took place on the threshold of the World congress of Russian compatriots. |
