When Turkey shot down that Russian bomber, what exactly was in the message and from whom, more importantly, was it coming from? Who was it that was really saying, “Come on baby light my fire. Try to set the night on fire?”
The fact that the Turkish plane, which shot down the Russian bomber, was an American made machine – armed with American air-to-air missiles also raises questions of what possible role the US might have played in this incident. The plane, which shot down the...
... similar battle cry, emanating from the various countries of the EU and it is not looking good. Something has, somewhere, somehow, gone radically wrong with the original concept of the idea’s and treaties laid down, by the founding fathers of the European Union – before and since the tearing down of the infamous Berlin Wall. Europe is under attack. And, it is not from Russia The whole concept of the EU and its original mandates are now coming under threat of attack, but not from some despised,...
Migration is a Blow to Central and Eastern European Identity
Hungary is under siege. Every day, thousands of refugees from Asia and Africa are crossing the border illegally. The country’s capital in the news reports on a daily basis against the backdrop of an ever worsening situation for ...
... frozen and people stop dying. Even that, however, cannot be taken for granted, as continued fighting ahead of the ceasefire’s formal entry into force suggests.
If the truce sticks, it will be the first negotiated arrangement in a newly divided Europe, leaving Russia almost alone on the east, with much of the rest of Europe supporting Ukraine. This split can grow much worse if the conflict in Donbass continues. But even if it stops, reconciliation is not on the cards. This means that in the ...
The Shedding of Hopes
In terms of the quest for independence, 2014 has been a bad year for separatist movements in a number of regions in Western European countries (Scotland, Catalonia, Northern Italy, Flanders, Greenland, Corsica, Northern Ireland and the Basque Country). In some countries, the separatists lost referendums and polls, while in others the mass actions of their supporters were unsuccessful....
RIAC Report #16
The dramatic developments in Ukraine in 2014 have once again demonstrated the relevance of the cooperative crisis management tools and mechanisms of the OSCE.
Issues of strengthening and reforming the OSCE are once again part of the European agenda.
The 40th anniversary of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe represents an important milestone in the development of the organization and provides an occasion for a frank discussion about the problems ...
... September 25, 2014, Russian International Affairs Council and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly held the international seminar "Helsinki +40 Process: Prospects for Strengthening the OSCE" with participation of the OSCE PA representatives, top European politicians and civil society leaders, Russian parliamentarians and key experts.
The event was opened by the project co-chair
Joao Soares
(MP, Portugal) and RIAC President
Igor Ivanov
.
The speakers' list at the plenary session included OSCE ...
Trial by Ukraine
The European security system is facing hard times. However, lessons should be learned from crises. Decision-making on key issues must involve all countries in the region. The OSCE provides ample opportunities for seeking consensus and is able to adapt to ...
