Latest Articles about Foreign Policy
Turkey, Azerbaijan Re-Synchronize Conflict Resolution and Border Opening
Under the protocols signed in Zurich, Switzerland on October 10, Turkey should establish full diplomatic relations with Armenia and re-open the land border between them. The United States, main driver of this initiative, insists that the protocols should be ratified and implemented “without preconditions and... MORE
Lessons Learned About Turkey and Azerbaijan After Erdogan’s Washington Visit
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s December 7-8 visit to Washington (EDM, December 9) underscored the decline in Washington’s ability to influence Turkish foreign policy decisions. It is within this broader context, Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu turned down Washington’s demands for Turkey to... MORE
Ankara Links Karabakh Settlement to Rapprochement with Yerevan
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has clearly reaffirmed the linkage between normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations and early substantial progress toward resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Ankara defines such progress as withdrawal of Armenian troops from occupied districts of Azerbaijan beyond Upper Karabakh, pending a... MORE
Customs Union with Russia and Belarus Raises Doubts in Kazakhstan
Fielding questions from viewers on state-controlled television channels on November 13 Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced that on November 27 the leaders of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan would gather in Minsk to sign final agreements on a Customs Union. On November 17, at a cabinet... MORE
Russian President Medvedev Submits Draft Security Architecture Treaty
On November 30 Russian President Dmitry Medvedev submitted a “Draft Treaty on European Security” for consideration to the heads of state and government of “all states of the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian space from Vancouver to Vladivostok,” as well as to selected international organizations: NATO, the... MORE
Priorities and Challenges in China’s Naval Deployment in the Horn of Africa
For a few days in mid-November, it looked like the Chinese government was prepared to take the unprecedented step to lead a multinational security operation involving the armed forces of Russia, the United States, the EU, and other countries. Following the seizure of yet another... MORE
Taiwan and the Changing Strategic Balance in the East China Sea
On October 19, Legislator and Chairman of Congressional Caucus for the opposition party DPP (Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party) Chai Trong-rong publicly accused the Ma Ying-jeou administration of providing China with sensitive undersea survey data around Taiwan. Legislator Chai maintained that the information, which he alleged... MORE
Libya Cautions China: Economics Is No Substitute to Politics
As anticipated, the fourth ministerial Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which was held in Sharm al-Shaykh (Egypt), November 8-9, reflected wall-to-wall praise for Sino-African "cooperation" in general and particularly for the positive Chinese role in Africa. China announced its readiness to pour more money into... MORE
Hu Jintao Unveils Major Foreign-Policy Initiative
Chinese President Hu Jintao has signaled his administration's readiness to play a bigger—and perhaps more constructive—role in global affairs through the release of a five-pronged foreign policy game plan. Cited by the official Outlook Weekly as “Hu Jintao’s Viewpoints about the Times,” this far-reaching initiative... MORE
Uzbekistan Damages Regional Electricity Network
Uzbekistan recently officially announced that it will quit the Central Asia power system. Tashkent’s decision affects all countries in the region, with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan suffering the most. The recent policy shift reflects the predicaments of Soviet period planning of energy supplies in the Central... MORE