The EU has been a key actor in the democratisation of the European continent and in the protection of the culture of human rights in Europe. To do so, the EU has used strategies and tools such as linkage action vis-a-vis third countries, democratic conditionality for accession to the Union and other forms of leverage, functional cooperation with third countries, the creation of the rule-of-law mechanism and the enactment of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.
This report studies the challenges of rebuilding Iraq’s public works infrastructure following the “perfect storm” of the ISIS insurgency and low oil prices. The major challenge is that the Government of Iraq’s estimate of $88 billion severely understates total
The Republic of Turkey and the Russian Federation are at odds over multiple issues, not least the Syrian Civil War, where they back warring proxies. Yet the two countries have bounced back from crises and are quickly deepening
For the vast majority of Russians, the vlast’—regime—they encounter is neither the Kremlin nor the Duma. It is considerably more local: regional governors, mayors, municipal bureaucrats, local ministry representatives, and their proxies
Intelligence studies is considered a sub-sub-level of international relations, falling under security or strategic studies. It is considered an example of realist policies in action, as intelligence is one of the activities that states undertake to protect and further their strategic interests as defined by a notion of national security. That is why most universities that deliver intelligence courses links intelligence with security in their title
Institute for Security and International Studies (ISIS)
Abstract:
Christopher Nolan’s film Inception creates a mesmerizing maze where each action of the protagonists has a ripple effect down through the whole fabric of the story. Making one’s way through the maze, though only in one’s own imagination, leaves the viewer disoriented. The film is all about process, about fighting one’s way through enveloping sheets of reality and dream, reality within dreams, dreams without reality. There is no time or place synchronization; architecture has a way of disregarding gravity where buildings tilt, streets coil and characters are adrift in what is more an emotional than a rational ‘ball of thread’ of experience. In a similar fashion, a complex network of events envelops the Western Balkans since the neologism’s ambiguous inception in the early 1990-s. For nearly three decades the region has been misperceived as stuck-in-the mud, criticized for being entangled in a desynchronized microcosm, involved in a set of flashbacks to archetypal conflicts on identity grounds and doomed to stagnated Europeanization. Both material facts such as cost-benefit calculations and ideational categories such as perceptions, beliefs, values, narratives are at play here. Almost like a Wiki-article, this paper attempts a disambiguation of several key assumptions about the Western Balkans so that it advances the argument that the Western Balkans region is inevitably on its way out of the shoals not least due to the European and Atlantic perspective for its future as offered by the European Union and NATO. It tackles three highly contentious statements: first, it refutes the proposition that the Western Balkans are entrapped in a specific ethnic security dilemma that offers no exit; second, it contends that at the moment the region is caught in a vicious circle of hard security threats (territorial conflicts) and soft security threats (radicalization, populism, corruption and organized crime); third, it holds a moderate optimistic view that the region is likely to be involved in a process of socialization within a vaster security community. The course of reasoning follows the case study of Serbia’s political and social development in the last decade; the theoretical framework is influenced by the security dilemma debate in International Relations literature.
Georgian Foundation for Strategic International Studies -GFSIS
Abstract:
The paper discusses the issues of the joint role of Azerbaijan and Georgia, or the “Caucasian Tandem,” in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative global project. Proceeding from the Caucasian Tandem’s experience in establishing and operation of the Silk Road Transport Corridor, the chief challenges of the Silk Road Economic Belt implementation are examined.
Georgian Foundation for Strategic International Studies -GFSIS
Abstract:
Since the August 2008 War and the consequent recognition of independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Russia, the relations between Georgia and Russia have deteriorated significantly. In the absence of diplomatic relations, the consultations and peace-building talks in Geneva (mainly Abkhazia and South Ossetia related) remain the only format involving international actors and mediators. Indeed, more than 40 rounds of negotiations have produced no tangible progress on converging the visions between parties. Nor have the bilateral format of talks, operational since 2012 contributed to a visible normalization of relations, save some progress in economic relations and humanitarian issues. With this lack of interaction between official structures, Russia-Georgia experts’ and opinion makers’ dialogue remains one of the most important instruments for generating and sharing the ideas directed towards solving the problems between Georgia and Russia.
An effective Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) is considered as one of the building blocks for the health of a populace. Unfortunately, this sector in Pakistan is quite fragile, and the intensity of fragility varies from one unit of the state to the other. However, for the development of WASH in Pakistan, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank (WB) are providing assistance in project preparation and implementation. This paper outlines the causes of the poor condition of WASH sector in Pakistan. Moreover, it evaluates the interventions of the ADB and the WB in the country from 2000-20016. It is also pondered over whether or not these interventions have brought betterment in WASH sector in different provinces of Pakistan. More importantly, the paper also highlights loopholes in the developmental strategies of ADB and WB and suggests few possible strategies for the development
of the WASH sector.
CPEC is the first of the Belt and Road Initiative’s (BRI) six envisioned corridors and the flagship project connecting the belt from Kashgar with the maritime Silk Road at Gwadar Port of Pakistan. From Pakistan’s perspective, this project has been labelled “Fate Changer” for Pakistan and “Game Changer” for the entire region. CPEC is expected to bring significant economic and geo-strategic benefits for Pakistan and China. The expected investment of USD 60 billion will elevate Pakistan’s economy and security. Both the countries remain committed to see its timely completion. While CPEC offers opportunities at global, regional and domestic levels, it faces some internal and external challenges. Therefore, a comprehensive approach in realm of foreign policy initiatives, governance and security domains is required