... joint online conference helps to strengthen the spirit of healthy pragmatism in our bilateral relations – a good example once shown with the first Soviet-British trade agreement.
Source:
The Embassy of the Russian Federation to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
The last 99 days of Brexit
Boris Johnson’s first Downing Street speech confirmed his intention to withdraw from the EU on October 31 and to use the remaining 99 days “to do a new deal, a better deal” (an indirect reference to Donald Trump’s “transaction diplomacy”). To be on the safe side, he hastened to lay the blame for the putative breakdown of talks on Brussels. The massive cabinet shakeup he has carried out, with half of the former members, including his rival Jeremy Hunt, either resigning...
For almost four centuries – from the beginning of the 16th century until the end of World War I – most Arab countries were represented by
Vilayets
(provinces) of the Ottoman Empire while the western part of the Arab East was by that time already under the rule of colonial powers, England and France. In 1916, London and Paris secretly agreed on a future division of the Asian part of the Ottoman state, which was suffering defeat in the war. Under these agreements, after the defeat of the...
Working Paper 19, 2014
The Working Paper is prepared in the framework of the RIAC research project “A New Agenda for Russia-United Kingdom Relations”.
The Working Paper analyzes the main trends in British domestic and foreign policy, current Russia-UK relations. Russian–British relations have always shown great potential. The areas of common interest pointed out in this paper allow for the practical implementation of tracks working systematically at the same time – the Track One-and-a-Half and...
The global fervour surrounding the referendum in Scotland has blown over
The global fervour surrounding the referendum in Scotland has blown over. Scotland will remain a part of the United Kingdom and the foreign policy consequences of its possible independence will not materialize. However, the outcome of the referendum may change the fate of the country and have an impact on the United Kingdom’s foreign policy.
Much Ado About Nothing?
The agreement between London and Edinburgh on the referendum...
On October 6-7, 2014, RIAC Program Director Ivan Timofeev made a working trip to London where he met Dr. Joseph Misfud, Director of the London Academy of Diplomacy, to discuss cooperation between the two think tanks and engagement of Russian universities and research centers.
Mr. Timofeev also talked to representatives of Chatham House, including Head of Russia and Eurasia Program James Nixey, and on October 7, 2014 was received at the Russian Embassy where he informed the diplomatic staff on RIAC's...
Nor is Scotland unique
Now that the dust is settling on the referendum on Scottish Independence held on September 18, 2014 we are better able to see it in perspective. That 45 per cent of voters in Scotland voted ‘yes’, and on a ballot where 85 per cent of people voted, is a remarkable achievement, even though a clear majority, 55 per cent, voted ‘no’. One year ago, in 2013, the pro-independence vote stood at just over one-third.
How, then, do we explain the outcome, and...
It is hard to predict whether or not Scotland will remain within the United Kingdom
The referendum on Scottish independence emerged as a key British political issue in 2011 after the Scottish National Party won parliamentary elections in Scotland. However, the SNP obtained a parliamentary majority due to electoral discontent with the Labour party rather than due to any broader desire for independence.
Scotland appears to be significantly advanced along the devolution track, although the SNP's initial...
... “new” Commonwealths, resulting in its transformation into a two-tier system with developed and developing member countries occupying differing positions and, in many ways, with mismatched interests.
However, with the overall weakening of Great Britain in the wake of WWII and a powerful uptick in national liberation movements in its Asian colonies, the British Commonwealth of Nations underwent major changes. In 1947, it evolved into a multinational association comprising India, Pakistan,...
A Review of Topical Books on Naval Affairs
Research in general, and naval research in particular, suffers heavily from a language barrier hampering the exchange of ideas between Russian and foreign specialists. Few foreigners are familiar with works by Russian authors, and Russians frequently neglect foreign publications, even though there are, especially on naval science, considerably more international publications than there are Russian books and papers on a wide range of theoretical and applied...