Latest Articles about Foreign Policy
Putin Outlines Critical Issues in US-Russian Relations
During last week’s visit to Moscow by US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, it was announced that the text of the START follow-on nuclear arms reduction treaty has almost been finalized. Apparently, all the contentious issues have been resolved. Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, stated that... MORE
Armenia: Key Beneficiary of Russian-Georgian Border Opening
Russia and Georgia have reopened their main land border crossing less than 18 months after fighting their brief, but bitter war and severing diplomatic relations. Armenia appears to have been the main driving force behind the development, and will likely become the key beneficiary of... MORE
Clinton Strives to Maintain the US-Russian “Reset”
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Moscow last week with the dual purpose of advancing the struggling negotiations on a new treaty to reduce strategic arsenals and participate in the session of the so-called Middle Eastern “quartet” that includes representatives of the United Nations,... MORE
Moscow Exploits TV Invasion Hoax to Isolate Georgia
On March 13, the pro-government, Imedi TV broadcasted what appeared to be a documentary report about a new Russian invasion that led to President Mikheil Saakashvili’s assassination. The program caused widespread public panic despite the Imedi anchor’s announcement (immediately after reporting Saakashvili’s death) that the... MORE
Hobson’s Choice: China’s Second Worst Option on Iran
In late February, a high-level Israeli delegation visited China in an attempt to convince Beijing to go along with sanctions against Iran. Headed by Lieutenant General (ret.) Moshe Ya'alon, vice prime minister and minister for strategic affairs and former chief of general staff of Israel's... MORE
Strategic Implications of China’s Access to the Rajin Port
At the recently concluded National People's Congress (NPC), Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Deputy Secretary-General of the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin Province, Li Longxi, announced that North Korean authorities are currently studying a proposal to grant a 10 year extension to China's lease of... MORE
Turkey Signals a Shift on French Participation in Nabucco
The Turkish parliament ratified the Nabucco inter-governmental agreement (IGA) on March 4, which was signed in July 2009 at a highly-publicized ceremony in Ankara (EDM, July 14, 2009). Consequently, all IGA signatories have concluded the ratification process. The Nabucco consortium welcomed this development, claiming that... MORE
Russian Strategic Interests Shifting Eastward
On March 8, an open letter by a group of German politicians and military officers, including the former German Defense Minister, Volker Ruehe, recommending that NATO should offer membership to Russia stimulated speculation that such approaches might be reflected in the Alliance’s new strategic concept... MORE
Russian Government and Public View North Caucasians With Suspicion
On March 10, the independent union of the Dagestani police and prosecutors petitioned President Dmitry Medvedev, asking him to dismiss the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Aleksandr Bastrykin. The union members accused Bastrykin of inciting ethnic hatred and undermining basic human rights as described by... MORE
US House Vote Adds New Twist to Turkey-Armenia Diplomacy
A key committee in the United States House of Representatives has once again approved a draft resolution recognizing the 1915 mass killings and deportations of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide. The dramatic development, condemned by Ankara and welcomed in Yerevan is widely seen... MORE