Russia weighs in on Bannon-free White House
Steve Bannon’s departure as White House chief strategist was seen coming a mile away, but it is still sending shock waves of speculation over potential policy shifts by US President...
The Hindrance of Development in Pakistan: How Pakistan is Holding Itself Back
Abstract This paper seeks to explain the predominant reasons behind Pakistan’s lack of development. While there is not one, simple definition of what a developing country is, there are a...
RUSSIA AND ITS ENERGY MONOPOLIES
I n 1990s, due to the lack of economic independence, Russia was not able to play an active role in international affairs. The country was highly dependent on donations from...
MY DYING MOTHER: RUSSIA’S DEPOPULATION CRISIS AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
Our dear Mother Russia is sick and dying. Power remains as centralized as ever, and the public is still unable to rely on this centrality for security and health benefits....
BACHA KHAN AND NONVIOLENCE: HOPE FOR PEACE IN AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN
It was a historical day that Bacha Khan (1890 - 1988) was born in the strategic tall mountains of Pashtun land located on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Bacha...
Russian Government’s “Selective” Anti-corruption Campaign in the Energy Sector
At a session of the Russian Governmental Commission on the Electric Energy Development, Putin has attacked upon management of the state-run energy companies, with affiliated private firms, as a rule,...
Perfect Nuclear Storm Waiting to Happen in Russia’s Northwest Region
The large-scale nuclear disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant has acted as a wakeup call for the international community, engendering deep reflection on the consequences of using nuclear...
From “Dublin to Baku”: Future Scenarios on EU’s Policies towards Black Sea Region
The Black Sea region (BS) — geographically defined as the land and seascape between the Balkans and the Caucasus and current politically located within the Wider Europe strategy from “Dublin...
Azerbaijan and the Iran Crisis: Stuck in the Middle
The crisis between Iran and the Western powers continues to escalate. Sanctions, wargames, and the ‘covert war’ being conducted against the Iranian nuclear programme has heightened tensions and raised the...
Putin’s ‘Eurasian Union’: Geopolitical Repositioning
On 24th of September 2011, during the United Russia congress in Moscow Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ended all the speculations on his candidacy for the Presidency of Russia. Putin...
The Mistral Warship Deal: What’s in for France and Russia?
After two years of negotiations, Russia and France signed a treaty of military cooperation on June 17, 2011 under which two Mistral-class amphibious assault ships, together with their full technological...
“Waves” of the Russia’s Presidential Reforms Break About Premier’s “Energy-Rocks”
In late March of this year, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev demanded that high-ranking officials – namely, deputy prime ministers and cabinet-level ministers that co-ordinate state policy in the same sectors...
Russia-Georgia Relations: Among Illusions and Visions
Leaving public opinion aside, the leadership of all post-Soviet countries enjoy reasonably amicable relations with Russia The exception is Georgia, whose ongoing conflict with Russia is recognized as the most...
Bhutan Cements Its Democracy
At the end of June the picturesque Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan held its first ever local elections. Over recent years this tiny country of around 700,000 has been undergoing a...
Afghanistan after a Decade: Progress and Challenges Ahead
It has been almost a decade since international community with mandate of United Nations has intervened in Afghanistan to oust the Taliban regime, dismantle the web of terror and above...