On the intertwined interests of regional and external powers in South Caucasus
Caucasus: turbulence in the shadow of Ukraine
These days, the Caucasus has been pushed to the margins of the international agenda and the media narrative by developments in and around Ukraine. However, the importance of geopolitical transformations in this part of Eurasia should by no means be underestimated.
Sergey Markedonov:
Armenian-Azerbaijani Conflict: Last Chapter or More to Come?
To begin with, it was here...
Is an efficient international cooperation in fighting against terrorism possible in the era of intense geopolitical competition?
The overall picture of the Friday’s large-scale terrorist attack in a Moscow’s suburb is finally acquiring some clarity. The attack on the Crocus City Concert Hall in Moscow’s satellite town of Krasnogorsk was conducted by four men of Central Asian origin, who were heavily armed with automatic rifles and incendiaries. The attackers started shooting when they stormed through...
When assessing the current state in Russian-Armenian relations, we must consider the different visions of Yerevan and Moscow
The specifics of Armenian national policy
The fundamental basis of Armenia’s foreign policy, both under the leadership of Kocharyan-Sargsyan and in the Pashinyan era, has been the confidence in Armenia’s absolute security. This is a seeming paradox, given both recent developments in the South Caucasus as well as Yerevan’s official statements about the existential threats...
The U.S. and the UK will likely use the challenging military and political environment for a further escalation of the crisis
The U.S.-British coalition’s military intervention in Yemen has become the most dangerous expansion of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict (PIC), taking a heavy toll on the security in the Middle East and creating a parallel hotbed of military standoff in the Red Sea. There is no consensus in the region’s countries on the root cause of the current escalation, with some governments...
... International Dialogue invited Andrey Kortunov, Academic Director of the Russian International Affairs Council, and Zhao Huasheng, Professor at Fudan University and expert with the Beijing Club for International Dialogue, to discuss the problems pertaining to international security, preventing a nuclear war, the rise of a new world order and prospects for the China-Russia relations.
The world security situation: pessimistic or optimistic?
Andrey Kortunov:
Recent international developments give few reasons ...
Report No. 91 / 2024
Report No. 91 / 2024
Owing to contradictions between regional actors, socioeconomic problems, and political instability in some countries, the situation in the Middle East remains tense. Given such circumstances, political and economic trends in the Middle East require a degree of theoretical conceptualization. The authors of this report analyze the current political and economic trends in the region’s Arab countries and non-Arab states, including Iran, Turkey, and Israel....
Over the last 20 years, China and Russia promoted the idea of complete demilitarization of outer space
During a recent regular press briefing in Washington, John Kirby, White House National Security Communications Advisor, expressed concerns about Russia allegedly working on new anti-satellite weapons. He did not specify the type of weapons, leading some journalists to suggest that the Biden administration was genuinely concerned about a futuristic nuclear missile being deployed in outer space...
Various approaches taken to address the nuclear question within the Asia-Pacific reemphasizes the region’s complex role in international affairs
The East Asian Sea is affected by the East Asian Monsoonal System (EAMS), which
carries moist air from the Indian and the Pacific Oceans to East Asia. The EAMS
influences the climates of Japan, Korea, and much of coastal China, and thereby affects
approximately one-third of the global population.
Po, R.C. (2018). The Blue Frontier: Maritime Vision and...
The substantive basis of the conference was the RIAC report “Regional Trends in the Middle East: Political and Economic Dynamics”, authored by Russian experts on Middle Eastern issues
On February 12, 2024, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) hosted a conference “Regional dynamics in the Middle East in the context of security and development challenges”. The goal of the meeting was to discuss key trends and current political processes in the Middle East. The substantive basis of the...
How Tehran Differs from Other Regional Players
Last Sunday, February 11, Iran celebrated the 45
th
anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Celebratory rallies were held in over 1,400 towns and 35,000 villages across the country. In Tehran, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi spoke to the participants of the festive processions.
It is well known that Islam does not approve of card games. It is believed card games lead to gambling and create terrible addictions that distract people from spiritual...