Interview: Xi's visit to reaffirm China's policy toward Kazakhstan: Kazakh expert
Chinese President Xi Jinping will stress the continuity of Beijing's policy toward Kazakhstan during his first state visit to the Central Asian country on Saturday, a Kazakh expert said. READ MORE
A small problem in Germany
The view in many parts of Brussels is that the future of Europe, at least for the next few years, will not be decided by the ever more unpopular elections for the European parliament in 2014, but by the German electorate on 22 September. READ MORE
Baltic sea region promoted as new model
The Baltic Development Forum Summit meets every year, bringing representatives from all the nations bordering the sea together for talks ranging from economic development, environmental protection, to security concerns. This year the Forum met in Riga, attended by regional politicians, businesspeople, educators and scientists. The Baltic Sea countries have seen their status grow during these years of global crisis, as they’ve weathered it rather well, and are beginning to believe that they may have an economic model the rest of the world can benefit from. With this in mind, the approximately 600 participants congregated to discuss ‘new realities and new opportunities’ to enhance competitiveness, investment and business development in the region. READ MORE
IN VISBY, NORDIC AND BALTIC FOREIGN MINISTERS ISSUE JOINT STATEMENTS ON THE EU EASTERN PARTNERSHIP AND THE SITUATION IN SYRIA
At the Nordic Baltic Eight (NB8) Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Visby today, the Nordic and Baltic Foreign Ministers expressed support for the Eastern Partnership countries and concern over the Syrian crisis. READ MORE
Azerbaijan Earns Deferential Treatment from Moscow
Among the six countries in the European Union’s Eastern Partnership program, Azerbaijan under its President Ilham Aliyev seems uniquely impervious to Russian forms of leverage and, consequently, unique in receiving respectful treatment from the Kremlin. These two factors are closely connected in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s view of international relations, derived from his own social milieu. Like a neighborhood bully, Putin respects strength while intimidating those more vulnerable. READ MORE
No strike on Syria before G20 summit: Russian experts
Leaders of the group of the G20 major economies are set to debate sanctions against Syria in a 5-6 September meeting in St Petersburg, with Western nations led by the United States preparing for air strikes in retaliation to a recent chemical attack on civilians. READ MORE
Russia’s Middle-East End Game, at the Hands of the Post-Soviet Grandmaster
Why Putin believes U.S. policies in the Middle East since the Arab Spring have been misguided, unprincipled, and dangerous. READ MORE
Diplomat: EU-China cooperation is not zero-sum game
China has a positive attitude in its EU relations, but it is also strongly determined to safeguard the interests of its nation and enterprises, Xi Jian, ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Warsaw. READ MORE
Will the Dutch help Cameron to reform the EU?
To renegotiate the terms of Britain’s EU membership, David Cameron must find allies. One of his targets is the Netherlands. But if the British prime minister misreads his potential allies and pushes for opt-outs or a large-scale repatriation of powers, he is certain to find himself isolated, writes Rem Korteweg. READ MORE
