Russia can do quite a lot at the political level, but it cannot replace Europe as a potential driver of Iran’s economic and social development
On May 8, 2019, Iran sent a message to Germany, Britain, China and Russia that it was suspending the fulfilment of certain obligations under the “Iranian nuclear deal” – the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. In particular, Tehran refuses to comply with restrictions that were placed on the ...
... top tier.
Andrey Kortunov:
Heartland Reunion: Geopolitical Chimera or Historical Chance?
Some analysts contend that EU-Russia relations will naturally improve over the long term. Nonetheless, in the meantime, Moscow finds itself situated between a European Union whose sanctions against Russia are one of the few signs of unity among member states, and a strategic partnership with China that
rests on mixed foundations
.
The Kremlin is keen to play up its agreement with Beijing on normative issues, such as their shared skepticism toward regime change and their commitment to the principle of non-interference in states’ internal ...
... part of the bilateral economic and financial dialogue to support the projects of UK companies as part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
In 2016, the United Kingdom was China’s eighth-largest global partner, and its second-largest trade partner in the European Union (
its trade turnover was ₤55 billion
). In 2017, China’s investment in the UK totaled
₤20 billion
, and the United Kingdom is the
fourth
largest importer of Chinese-made goods. In 2018, mutual trade turnover reached
₤63.4 billion
.
Today, China’s investment projects in the United Kingdom ...
... EU–Russia relations.
***
In January 2018, Emmanuel Macron
promised
to arrange official visits to China annually until the end of his tenure. Whether he will keep this promise in 2019 remains unclear, but the next phase in the dialogue involving France, the European Union and China is scheduled for April 9, when the EU–China summit will be held. Xi Jinping’s March visit to France clearly demonstrated that Paris definitely wants to be an important partner of Beijing, both bilaterally and at the regional level. It is symbolic ...
... Giovanni Tria, the new stage of relations between Italy and China will not only provide them with
new opportunities
to expand cooperation in sectors of mutual interest, but will also allow Italy to become a champion of developing cooperation between the European Union and China in addressing the key issues of globalization and international cooperation. In other words, Italy wants to significantly increase its role in the dialogue between the European and China, taking the initiative and positioning itself as a driving ...
... that the key global actors are much more focused on their own domestic problems than on international issues. This propensity for political introspection (some may even call it political autism syndrome) is present, to some extent, in the U.S., Russia, China, and India. However, it is particularly characteristic of the European Union, which currently has to simultaneously deal with Brexit, prepare for the upcoming European Parliament elections, restore financial discipline in the eurozone, and reconcile differing views on migration issues along with many other urgent ...
... overcome because mankind would not invent anything better. Opponents pointed to the phenomenon of “authoritarian capitalism,” which had allegedly proved that there was another, more effective, development model. However, the experience of Russia and China, which were usually cited as examples of such a model, showed quite soon that authoritarian capitalism was closely linked with the liberal order and could not exist without it.
The crisis and retreat of the liberal world order is a prevailing topic ...
The conclusion is clear: to preserve the liberal world order by all means, to rationalize United States policy, and to isolate Russia and China or make them return to their usual roles. But a return of the old order of post-bipolar times is unlikely
Andrey Kortunov:
Why the World is Not Becoming Multipolar
The organizers of the Munich Security Conference have released their
annual report
...
... concerned more with the policies dictated to them by an escalation of tensions between regional players.
Present-day situation
The European Union offered all the Balkan peoples a so-called “European future”. The political elites and the population of the ... ... assure their influence on the pan-European processes as well as strengthen their positions in the global confrontation. Russia, China, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, which are accumulating more and more influence in the region, taken separately, are not so powerful....
... Europe, its economies will flounder. Cui bono? Russia that can reap benefits from the two-way BRI or Arctic trade routes or moribund United States that can no longer rule roost in an increasingly multipolar world?
Trump’s
diplomatic downgrade
of the European Union and his opposition to the
Nord Stream 2
gas pipeline matches this trade-disruption hypothesis, as do pressures applied on India and China to drop energy and trade ties with Iran. Washington’s trade war with Beijing and recent charges against Huawei — arguably Asia’s most valuable company — seem to fit this grand strategy.
If China concedes to importing more US products, Europe ...
