Latest Articles about Foreign Policy
Kremlin Contemplates a Seismic Shift in Russian Foreign Policy
Two conceptual strategy documents, one outlined in briefings by the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and another “leaked” to Newsweek in Moscow appear to indicate that a seismic shift in the country’s foreign policy is under consideration. If this is implemented more fully, it will... MORE
Bishkek’s Dependence on Russia and Kazakhstan Deepens
During the Collective Security Treaty Organization’s (CSTO) informal summit on May 7 in Moscow, member states – Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan – expressed concern over the ongoing instability in Kyrgyzstan. In the joint statement CSTO members agreed that the regime change in... MORE
Medvedev’s Ineffectual Foreign Policy Lacks Putin’s Firm Hand
Glitz and fanfare in foreign policy have been President, Dmitry Medvedev’s, main preoccupation since the Victory Day parade on May 9. After the back-to-back official visits to Syria and Turkey, he telephoned US President, Barack Obama, and in Moscow greeted the Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio... MORE
Putin and Chavez Reach Major Deals in Caracas : Part Two
Russia’s central partner in Latin America remains Venezuela and Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin’s, visit there underscores the scope of that partnership. Putin’s trip encompassed several large deals with Venezuela that reveal the true scope of this partnership, even if bilateral trade fell to $297 million... MORE
China’s “Charm Offensive” Loses Momentum in Southeast Asia [Part II]
The change in Southeast Asian attitudes toward China’s growing economic profile in the region and its military build-up in the South China Sea is significant (See "China's "Charm Offensive" Losing Momentum in Southeast Asia [Part I]," China Brief, April 29). In mainland Southeast Asia, governments... MORE
Shifting Sands in the Gulf: The Iran Calculus in China-Saudi Arabia Relations
The fourth joint meeting on economy and trade convened by China and Saudi Arabia in January 2010 in the Saudi capital of Riyadh came and went without much fanfare. Yet the meeting between China, the world’s second largest and fastest growing oil consumer, and Saudi... MORE
Kim Jong-Il’s Secret Visit to Beijing
North Korean President Kim Jong-Il’s recently completed visit to Beijing, which came on the heels of South Korean President Lee Myun-bak’s trip to attend the 2010 Shanghai Expo, has testified to China’s unprecedented clout over strategic developments in the Korean Peninsula. Yet despite Dear Leader... MORE
Hu Calls on Russia to Shape New International Political Order
At the invitation of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Moscow from May 8 to May 9. The occasion marked the 65th anniversary of Russia’s Great Patriotic War, which celebrates the Soviet Union's victory over the Nazis in World War II. Hu... MORE
Turkmen-Chinese Cooperation: Key to Turkmenistan’s Diversification Strategy
The visit of the Turkmen President, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, to China on May 2 has once again reaffirmed the significance of China for Turkmenistan following the launch of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline that has broken the Russian monopoly on energy transit routes in Central Asia and... MORE
Moscow Grooming a Political Team in Tbilisi
Each spring from 2007 to date, Georgia’s radical opposition has linked its regime-change campaigns with a powerful patron, in the hope of counterbalancing the state authorities. Initially that patron was an internal one the tycoon, Badri Patarkatsishvili, whose resources rivaled those of the state until... MORE