Latest Articles about Foreign Policy

The Ukrainian-Russian Cultural Conflict
Discussions over the many conflicts between Ukraine and Russia have focused on the more well known: the status of the Russian language, unpaid energy bills and gas pipelines, withdrawal of the Black Sea Fleet, Russia's invasion of Georgia, support for Crimean separatism, and future NATO... MORE

Iraqi Cleric Moqtada al-Sadr Visits Turkey
Moqtada al-Sadr, the most prominent Shi'ite opponent of the United States' military presence in Iraq, paid an official visit to Turkey for talks on the political situation in neighboring Iraq. This was al-Sadr's first public appearance since 2007. The Turkish media reported that Ankara had... MORE

Sino-Russian Military Exercises Conceived as a Show of Unity
On April 29 the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) Council of Defense Ministers met in Moscow to discuss enhancing military and security cooperation to counter terrorism, separatism and extremism. The meeting served as an important preparation for the SCO Summit in Yekaterinburg on June 15-16. The... MORE

Baku Calling for Openness in Turkish-Armenian Relations
Most Azerbaijani politicians as well as the general public believe that the recent developments in Turkey's bilateral relationship with Armenia were aimed only at influencing Barack Obama's April 24 statement. Supposedly, Turkey wanted to provide a reason for Obama to avoid using the word "genocide"... MORE

“Water Summit” in Central Asia Ends in Stalemate
On April 28, the five Central Asian leaders met in Almaty to discuss water issues related to the Aral Sea. The discussion on the interstate regulation of the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers (both flowing into the Aral Sea) between upstream and downstream countries... MORE

Maritime Confrontation Highlights Troubled State of China-U.S. Defense Diplomacy
The recriminations that flared between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the United States over the latest Sino-American maritime confrontation makes evident how little progress has been made in Sino-U.S. defense dialogue during the past two decades. Clashes between U.S. and Chinese military units... MORE

Beijing and Havana: Political Fraternity and Economic Patronage
"History has proved that we [China and Cuba] are worthy of the name of fast friends, good comrades and intimate brothers,” commented Chinese President Hu Jintao on the state of Sino-Cuban bilateral relations during a visit with Cuban President Raul Castro in Havana on November... MORE

Turkey and Armenia’s Rapprochement Watched Carefully by Azerbaijan
On April 22, the Foreign Ministries of Turkey, Armenia and Switzerland issued a joint announcement saying that Ankara and Yerevan had agreed to work toward improving their relations within the framework of a roadmap under Swiss auspices. United States' diplomats were also closely involved in... MORE

Belarus and the Dilemmas of the Eastern Partnership
On May 7 the Eastern Partnership Program (EPP) will be inaugurated at the EU summit in Prague. Belarus has been invited to take part, a decision that has not only angered some EU leaders, but also poses legal and economic dilemmas for all concerned. However,... MORE

Yerevan and Tehran Strengthen Economic Cooperation
Armenia and Iran have agreed to deepen their already close relationship by pressing ahead with several large-scale commercial projects, mostly related to energy supplies. The two neighboring states formalized these plans during Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan's recent official visit to Tehran. Iranian leaders used the... MORE