Popular blogs

0
798
0
January 31, 2014

It’s convenient to discuss social utilities like Facebook, Twitter and You Tube in the context of nations seeking to propagate policy and push back the contending views of other governments.
 
But business elites and NGOs interrupted the diplomatic conversation before former U.S. secretary of state and current 2016 presidential hopeful…

0
285
0
January 27, 2014

Mr. President, at the time of this writing, it is gratifying to know that your security men and our special agents are working together to battle Islamist fascism, with its revenge-hungry black widows, deluded martyrs and racist beliefs that resemble the lethal lunacy of Mein Kampf. Though many still ignore the danger, a worldwide struggle against…

0
1176
0
January 26, 2014

The state of e-diplomacy today Today, diplomats use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and country-specific social media networks such as Russia’s VKontakte or China’s Weibo. Eighty-two foreign ministries currently have Twitter accounts, and 47 ministers of foreign affairs are personally on Twitter. The two most popular foreign ministers on…

0
2777
0
January 23, 2014

In the recent days, the post-Soviet world (and beyond) has been transfixed by Ukraine's contentious politics. Is it a beginning of the revolution, which will oust Yanukovych? Or is it a prelude to a wide-scale repression by the "family"? There is no doubt that what is happening in Kiev is about democracy--the rule of the people, in this…

0
932
0
January 21, 2014

This essay aims to offer comparison between Ukrainian protests of 2013 with the case of the 2004 Orange Revolution. In the following paragraphs, I will identify several differences that lead me to the conclusion that these two events are not alike. Although I must admit that there are several similarities - the same actors, people in the streets…

8
179
0
January 21, 2014

Linkages exist between the ongoing, peaceful-turned violent demonstrations in the Ukraine and the Chechen threats to the Olympics. Although nominally independent, the Ukraine is really living under a Soviet style leader and government. Yearning for closer ties to Europe rather than Russia, the Ukrainians elected President Viktor Yanukovich on his…

0
837
0
January 17, 2014

NIS - Building a Giant in South East Europe

Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike oil.
J. Paul Getty

The Oil and petroleum product Trading Company was founded on 1947. The establishment of the Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Company, the predecessor of today’s NIS, was in many ways significant for Serbia half a century…

0
1400
0
January 15, 2014

The Asia-Pacific region has assumed primary importance as a center of global politics and economic dynamism. For Moscow, this development highlights a world in which many long-standing assumptions about international politics are being overturned. It speaks of “global power … shifting to the East,” and of Russia becoming involved in…

Blog: IFRI
0
364
0
January 13, 2014

We have heard many recollections about Ariel Sharon, the late Israeli P.M., some critical, some laudatory. With Putin having surprised us with his laudatory comments about Nelson Mandela, we were not surprised to see what he said about Sharon. After all, when the two met in the Kremlin in November 2003, Sharon referred to Putin as "a true…

24
3660
0
January 8, 2014

“Every government has as much of a duty to avoid war as a ship's captain has to avoid a shipwreck.”
Guy de Maupassant
 
In our highly unstable world there are but a few places which can be deemed close to being tranquil. In the preceding post Casing Point outlined that the Arctic is amongst such areas. Still, it is not utterly…

Blog: Casing Point
8
856
0
January 6, 2014

Recent strategic agreements between Paris and Moscow will expand bi-lateral business in the defense, aerospace and energy sectors.  Meanwhile, the state visit of French president Francois Hollande to Brazil December 11-12, which this blogger attended, achieved a similar objective and strengthened a program of educational, scientific and cultural…

0
1513
0
January 2, 2014

Author: Artyom Malgin, PhD in Political Science, Vice-Rector of MGIMO University. Judging by the latest developments in Ukraine, foreign policy towards Europe has become a major element of Russian-Ukrainian relations, at the same time affecting Kiev's international priorities and, according to some observers, its domestic politics. And the role of…

Poll conducted

  1. In your opinion, what are the US long-term goals for Russia?
    U.S. wants to establish partnership relations with Russia on condition that it meets the U.S. requirements  
     33 (31%)
    U.S. wants to deter Russia’s military and political activity  
     30 (28%)
    U.S. wants to dissolve Russia  
     24 (22%)
    U.S. wants to establish alliance relations with Russia under the US conditions to rival China  
     21 (19%)
For business
For researchers
For students