Abiyev, Hagel Highlight Success of Growing U.S.-Azerbaijan Defense Ties
In a working Pentagon visit this week, Colonel General Safar Abiyev, Azerbaijan's Minister of Defense, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel pledged to extend and deepen the strategic partnership between their two countries, the Counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the US Fakhraddin Ismayilov reported. READ MORE
Missile defense puts brakes on disarmament
NATO's planned missile shield has dampened relations with Russia. But German peace researcher Oliver Meier says Moscow exaggerates any threat the shield - which may never even function as envisioned - might pose. READ MORE
President Islam Karimov Meets with UK Defense Secretary
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov met with State Secretary for Defense of the United Kingdom Philip Hammond MP at the Oqsaroy. READ MORE
The Missile Defense Hyperbole Game
In principle, both Russia and the United States have endorsed cooperation on missile defense. Absent cooperation, the two countries are unlikely to make further progress on reducing their still bloated nuclear arsenals. READ MORE
Central European Chairmen
Energy security is the main priority of Lithuania, as a future Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE. READ MORE
Britain and France Make a Deal
Britain and France last week announced that they would begin a new era of defense cooperation intended to conserve their military power at a time of shrinking military budgets. The plan involves sharing nuclear weapons research and other expensive weapons development programs, pooling aircraft carriers in times of crisis and jointly training rapid-reaction brigades that can fight side by side under a single commander. READ MORE
The Reset Blooms
Over the past year, I was skeptical of the Obama administration’s vaunted “reset” of relations with Russia. In January of this year, I wrote, “The problem is simple: not only are many Russian and American interests today out of alignment, the political realities in both countries work against any effective partnership being developed.” READ MORE
Turkey Not Partner But Owner Of NATO, FM Says
Turkey is not a partner, but an owner of NATO, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said Saturday, adding that an agreement within the multi-national alliance is as important as an accord within the European Union. READ MORE
BRIC Military Modernization and the New Global Defense Balance (Part 1 of 2)
The message promoted by foreign policy gurus in recent years is that the American moment is over and a new global balance is emerging; one where power is no longer concentrated in Washington but spread among several different countries. The U.S. will continue to retain a prominent position at the top of the global food chain we are told, but no longer will there be the sense of American worldwide hegemony. Instead the emerging nations of Brazil, Russia, India and China (the so-called “BRICs”) will assume their rightful place as great powers and in the process create a new multi-polar world. READ MORE
Russian Defense Minister Visits United States: Resetting In Progress
The two documents signed during Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov's visit to the United States - a memorandum on cooperation between the military departments and a joint statement on the establishment of the U.S.-Russian Defense Relations Working Group - could drastically change military relations between the two countries. READ MORE
