Latest Articles about Foreign Policy

Lukashenka Plays Hard Ball with Russian Leadership
On May 29 Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenka instructed his ministers not to "whine and weep" when things did not work out with Russia but to "look for better luck in other parts of the world" (www.gazeta.ru, May 29). He was obviously disappointed after the meeting... MORE

Turkey Calls for OIC Involvement in Conflict Resolution
On May 23-25 the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu participated in the thirty sixth session of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Foreign Ministers Council in Damascus. As well as marking Turkey's increased profile within regional diplomacy, the event provided an opportunity for Davutoglu... MORE

Russia Skeptical on Imposing Sanctions Against North Korea
Russia along with the rest of the international community strongly condemned the latest North Korean underground nuclear test this week. The Russian U.N. permanent representative Vitaly Churkin, censured North Korea and declared that it "violated international law and is threatening regional and international peace and... MORE

Food Security in Africa: China’s New Rice Bowl
The People's Republic of China (PRC) is home to 22 percent of the world’s population, but has only 7 percent of its total arable land. Following the Chinese people's recovery from the humanitarian disaster of the "Great Famine," which according to one authoritative account contributed... MORE

China’s Strategy toward Central America: The Costa Rican Nexus
When Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Costa Rica last November and announced that the two countries were initiating free trade talks, it marked the beginning of a new phase in China’s courtship of Central America. Indeed, China’s striking economic growth over the last decade has... MORE

Iraq’s Muqtada al-Sadr Seeks Regional Influence with Visit to Ankara
Muqtada al-Sadr, the young Iraqi Shi’a cleric who has been studying to become an Ayatollah in the Iranian city of Qom since 2007, recently visited Turkey in a trip whose purpose is reported to have been a series of talks on Iraqi-Turkish security issues (al-Jazeera,... MORE

Nazarbayev Signals Kazakhstan’s OSCE Priorities
On May 21 Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev characterized the country's forthcoming chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as a vital part of its interest in pursuing integration with Europe. Having entered the OSCE troika this year (alongside Finland and Greece),... MORE

Controversy Erupts over Proposed De-Mining of the Turkish-Syrian Border
The Turkish parliament began debating a controversial bill last week to clear and destroy mines along the border with Syria. A private contractor plans to carry out the de-mining and secure the allocation of the cleared area for its agricultural use. The bill once again... MORE

Russia’s National Security Strategy
The Russian National Security Strategy until 2020, approved by President Dmitry Medvedev on May 12, has been portrayed as innovative while clarifying the nature of the strategic environment facing the country. Much attention was devoted to the potential risk of future energy wars, in regions... MORE

Belarus Participates in Eastern Partnership Inauguration
On May 7, in Prague, the Eastern Partnership Project (EPP) was initiated with the participation of Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, and Belarus. Perhaps reflecting a response to the concerns of several European leaders, Belarus was not represented by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka or Prime Minister... MORE