Yet some time ago American political analysts and reporters actively discussed the “Arab Spring” and in these discussions the case was more about that the “Spring: has turned into “winter”, and hopes for rapid establishment in Near East of democracy and the triumph of human rights haven’t come true. Now this discussion is gradually ceasing – it seems that liberal dreamers recognize that there is nothing to hope for. READ MORE

Many countries consider the Customs Union (CU) of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus as a "plum", the place where you can deliver the goods as well as export raw materials from it. Taking into account the new tariff rates of this "triple" the last option is much more profitable. Integration association that was set up in record short time, learns the lessons of the EU, and therefore, following the beaten track, is developing a tremendous success. READ MORE

Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic is under fire after acknowledging that he met with a reputed member of a narco clan thought to be led by Serbia's most-wanted fugitive.  READ MORE

Remarks by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the Munich Security Conference. READ MORE

Turkey's aspirations for membership in the Russian and Chinese-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) might materialize as the organization moves towards admitting new members, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a special talk with Today's Zaman. READ MORE

Allies should hold the line on defence spending and look for ways to close the gaps in their capabilities, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said as he launched his second Annual Report on 31 January 2013. READ MORE

Turkey–European Union relations were frozen while Cyprus held the rotating EU presidency during the second half of 2012. In those six months, no progress was made in Turkey’s European integration, and very few official visits took place between Turkish and EU delegations. Signifying the tense relationship, in November, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy, Professor Burhan Kuzu, the head of the parliamentary Constitution Commission, harshly criticized the EU progress report on Turkey. He dramatically threw it into a trashcan on national television to show his government’s disappointment with the EU and with Cyprus’s presidency (CNNTurk, November 11, 2012). READ MORE

Hardly the second Presidential term of Obama shall force the USA to revise radically its line in the issue of desirable (and not really) guests from the CIS states. However, growing activity of Washington in Central Asia region, related with the oncoming withdrawal of the troops from Afghanistan, gives ground to suggest that now the USA hardly shall welcome the persecuted by “criminal power” opposers from the states of this region. Moreover that in the USA, contrary to common views, not at all everybody is delighted with the growing number of VIP-refugees from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, other post-Soviet republics. According to a number of experts, now American authorities shall less decisively give positive replies for the kind of asylum claimers – it’s too serious challenge for the urgent dialogue with the official power in Astana, Tashkent, other capitals. Too serious is the challenge from the side of Afghanistan for everybody.  READ MORE

The EU does not give ‘certificates’ of economic health. On the contrary, it merely accepts whatever figures are thrown at it by member States, at face value and without question. READ MORE

Mr Vice President,

Distinguished guests,

Dear colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen, READ MORE