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France's Sarkozy in China to repair ties, push gently on Iran

By Kyle James

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is on a three-day visit to China aimed at mending relations and seeking Chinese support for tough new sanctions on Iran. It will require some delicate diplomacy. READ MORE

Azerbaijan Arranges “Zurich-2” – Operation

Turkish State Minister Ali Babacan made an intriguing declaration in Brussels: "I was one of the authors of Zurich protocols signed with Armenia and there we reached a clear agreement that the Parties will discuss within historic committees the issues over the events of 1915. And we were ready to any results of these commissions activity". By this Babajan underlined, that Azerbaijan and other states were informed in details about Armenian-Turkish negotiations in Zurich: "I’ll say more, after we agreed with Armenia in Munich to sign protocols, I went not to Ankara, but to Baku, where I specified the position of Turkey on these issues to the President Ilham Aliyev". READ MORE

Collective Defense in Central Asia Contradicted by Rising National Spending

By Roger McDermott

Despite the impact of the global economic crisis on all of the economies within the former Soviet Union, averaging a 7 percent decline in GDP in 2009, defense spending has increased in each state with the exception of Belarus (which remained unchanged in 2009 year-on-year at 1.5 percent of GDP). Defense spending, according to an extensive analysis in Nezavisimaya Gazeta, witnessed the sharpest increase in Georgia (4.56 percent of GDP), Armenia (4.07 percent) and Azerbaijan (3.95 percent). In the case of Armenia, this level of defense expenditure proved surprising in the context of its 15 percent decline in GDP in 2009. READ MORE

Why U.S. - EU Economic Co-Operation Holds The Key To Global Governance

By Robert Hutchings

The globalised economy and the rise of new economic giants demand a radically reformed international system, says Robert Hutchings. But it will nevertheless fall to Europe and America to fashion these new structures for global governanceDespite the many calls for a “new Atlanticism” or a “new transatlantic bargain,” the U.S.-European relationship is still imprisoned by old habits and ways of doing business. Yet, it is an inescapable reality that almost all the new challenges lie outside the traditional NATO relationship, and many of them are in areas where U.S. and European views have long diverged. READ MORE

Positive Tendencies

Under a wise guidance of President Nursultan Nazarbayev Kazakhstan enjoys leading positions in Central Asia to date. Ertan Tezgor, Personal Envoy of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office for Cooperation with Asian Partners said speaking on the country's role in the region and the Kazakh President's contribution to enhancement of its positions on the international arena. READ MORE

In Córdoba, EU Foreign Ministers Discussed The Functioning Of The European External Action Service

At an informal meeting of European Union’s foreign ministers on 5-6 March in Córdoba (Spain), Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis and his counterparts discussed the shaping of the new European External Action Service, the EU’s relations with large emerging economies, as well as the situation in the Middle East. READ MORE

What Price Russia’s Help With Iran?

By John Vinocur

Russia, it would seem, is finally making some of the right noises about tougher sanctions against Iran. Excellent. READ MORE

The 'Reset' At One Year: The View From Moscow

By Brian Whitmore

Vladimir Putin was in favor of Barack Obama's reconfigured missile defense plan before he was against it. READ MORE

International Community Weighs Response To Nuclear Iran

Experts agree that if Iran's claims about its ability to produce higher-grade enriched uranium are true, the country could have weapons-grade uranium within six months. What does this mean for the West? READ MORE

Ankara's Iran gambit

By Semih Idiz

Iran, it seems, is going to turn into one of the main litmus tests of exactly how influential Turkey has become in the region.Ankara is in an uncomfortable position in this respect. If it does not manage to bring Tehran around to a reasonable position on the uranium-enrichment issue, it runs the risk of being isolated among its allies. READ MORE