Latest Articles about Foreign Policy

“Shaheen 1” Exercise Signals Expansion of China-Pakistan Alliance
The recent headlines have been dominated by the progressively deteriorating relationship between the United States and Pakistan. The killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on Pakistani territory in May by U.S. forces exacerbated the widening rift and further overshadowed the recent staging of a... MORE

The Death of Factions within the Chinese Communist Party?
On the surface, trends in recent months would suggest that the conservative and reformist wings of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are locked in a ferocious struggle over seminal issues such as political liberalization and the treatment of dissidents. On the one hand, public and... MORE

Moscow Initiates Mediation Between Tripoli and Benghazi
As anticipated (EDM, April 26), Russia is offering its mediation services in Libya to capitalize on NATO’s predicament. The Russian government has invited emissaries from both Libyan sides, Tripoli and Benghazi, to Moscow for separate talks. Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, is using foreign dignitaries’... MORE

Turkey Refuses to Stop Second Mavi Marmara
The Turkish-Israeli relationship has been in a limbo since the deadly Mavi Marmara incident in late May 2010, and various efforts to bridge the differences have failed (EDM, July 7, December 10, 2010). The approaching anniversary of the flotilla incident has reignited the debate on... MORE

Ukraine Expels Czech Diplomats, Jeopardizing Talks with the European Union
Ukraine has expelled two Czech diplomats, explaining that they had gathered military secrets and hired local assistants who now face prison sentences. This is an extraordinary event as Ukraine has avoided scandals involving the expulsion of Western diplomats in the past. Moreover, this happened at... MORE

Europol Identifies Security Threat to Europe from North Africa’s “Arab Spring”
Without food, employment or security, thousands of sub-Saharan Africans are taking to the sea in overcrowded and unseaworthy boats in desperate attempts to escape the violence in Libya. They are joining some 25,000 Tunisians who have already fled to the Italian islands of Lampedusa and... MORE

India and Kazakhstan Bolster Their Strategic Partnership
On April 15-16, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev adopted a “Road Map” for 2011-2014 to strengthen the strategic partnership between India and Kazakhstan, signing seven agreements in areas as diverse as energy, cyber security, space exploration, education, and hi-tech development,... MORE

Syrian Uprising Tests Turkey’s Middle East Policy
Turkey still remains occupied with the popular uprising in the Middle East and North Africa. Although some critics argued that Turkey reacted rather late to support the pro-democratic demonstrations in Egypt, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s strongly-worded call for Hosni Mubarak to leave power... MORE

Mist Hangs Over Franco-Russian Mistral Deal
Much of the western attention to the Franco-Russian political agreement on the procurement of the helicopter landing dock Mistral for the Russian Navy emphasizes its potential “power projection” capability. NATO members, including the Baltic States, have misinterpreted remarks by the naval top brass and laid... MORE

China and the Philippines: Implications of the Reed Bank Incident
Following the flare up of tensions over the territorial dispute in the South China Sea last year, there was a hope and expectation among security analysts that in 2011 the claimants would recalibrate their policies, adopt more flexible and conciliatory positions, and prioritize the search... MORE