The Rīga Conference 2010 opened on 10 September for two day invigorating security and foreign policy debate. The conference aims to kick-off high level international discussions on foreign and security policy issues before entering the intensive policy making season in the fall of 2010. The conference has become the most significant gathering of some of the most respected world thinkers, academics, commentators, journalists, and politicians, providing a platform for a broad intellectual exchange on the current Transatlantic agenda. READ MORE

European Union countries and Kosovo have welcomed a move by Serbia to soften a draft UN resolution on the future of its former province. READ MORE

Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's appointments of special envoys for foreign affairs is seen as a direct challenge to the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. READ MORE

When during the meetings in Strasbourg and Kiel (in April 2009) the leaders of NATO decided to start discussions on a new strategic concept of NATO, nobody expected easy agreements. Nevertheless all the countries of the Alliance agreed that the key goal of NATO should be the establishment of the secure political environment. To this end the Alliance shall elaborate effective measures for the elimination of threats. READ MORE

Serbia has agreed to water down its controversial resolution on Kosovo due to be presented at the United Nation's General Assembly on Thursday. The European Union's top diplomat welcomed the decision. READ MORE

In less than a fortnight after Russia signed a deal with Armenia Russian president Dmitry Medvedev heads to Baku to discuss the urgent issues with the Azerbaijani government. Some experts believe that this highest level visit is aimed at soothing the effect of Russian-Armenian military agreement. Political analyst Viktor Nadein-Rayevsky, a senior fellow of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of World Economy and International Relations, shared his views on the situation in the South Caucasus. READ MORE