Latest Articles about Middle East

RUSSIAN FOREIGN POLICY EXPERTS MULL STRATEGY TOWARD POST-SOVIET LANDS

In the opinion of some representatives of Russia's political class, the "losing streak" that began last year is still continuing, as Moscow's geopolitical influence in post-Soviet Eurasia keeps shrinking. However, as one saying has it, successes encourage, but defeats mobilize. A recent gathering of policymakers... MORE

SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION SUMMIT SUGGESTS NEW RUSSIA-CHINA LINKS

As the six Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members gathered Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, on July 5, the summit meeting seemingly adopted a measure of anti-Western rhetoric. The SCO states (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan) not only suggested that the U.S.-led coalition forces in Afghanistan... MORE

SCO ASKS WASHINGTON TO SET DATE FOR WITHDRAWAL OF FORCES

The presidents of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan -- member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization -- held a summit of the SCO on July 5 in Astana. Their joint declaration requests the U.S.-led anti-terrorist coalition forces to set a date for leaving... MORE

PUTIN’S MÉNAGE À TROIS IN KALININGRAD

Over the weekend of July 3-4, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted French President Jacques Chirac and German Prime Minister Gerhard Schroeder for a summit in Kaliningrad, supposedly to celebrate the city's 750th anniversary. Putin conspicuously declined to invite Polish and Lithuanian leaders to this event,... MORE

THE PRESIDENTIAL VERTICAL ECONOMY AND THE OIL SHOWER

Russian economic policy has never been so entertaining as in recent weeks, particularly in comparison with the dull and monotonous political discourse. Every weekly meeting of the government delivers a new verbal clash of economic titans often sparkling with rich metaphors. Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov... MORE

RUSSIA CANCELS BORDER TREATY, ASSAILS ESTONIA

On June 27, merely six weeks after signing the border treaty with Estonia, Russia announced that it is revoking its signature, withdrawing from any obligations stipulated in that treaty, and demanding renegotiation from scratch. Those points are contained in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs... MORE

RUSSIA, CHINA ANTICIPATE BOOMING BILATERAL INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Investment and energy issues will top the agenda of the bilateral Russo-Chinese summit Moscow later this month. Although Beijing has demonstrated a willingness to continue its economic expansion in Russia, Moscow is apparently trying to avoid an over-reliance on China. Beijing has reiterated that energy... MORE