Program Related Publication Feeds

A New Transatlantic Approach for the Western Balkans

jdunton — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

For the past decade, accession to the European Union (EU) has become both the journey and the final destination for peace and democracy in the Western Balkans. EU political and economic engagement in the region has had a profound and positive influence, from encouraging the rule of law, human rights, and economic reform, to establishing a regional dialogue.

Wider Europe, Fall 2011

bbocka — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

A Warning for Bosnia
Excerpt "An insightful report just released by the U.S.-based Democratization Policy Council and the Sarajevo-based Atlantic Initiative issues a stern warning about renewed ethnic violence in Bosnia. The authors, who are seasoned Balkan analysts, are not predicting imminent violence, but their warnings need to be heeded by international actors who assume that the current status quo can last indefinitely."

Central-East European Policy Review 2011

jdunton — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

This policy review, an annual publication of the CSIS Lavrentis Lavrentiadis Chair, monitors and assesses developments in the central and eastern parts of Europe to provide recommendations for policy initiatives by Western governments and multinational institutions. The first volume in 2010 focused on the Western Balkans.

China's New Balkan Strategy

bbocka — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Communist China did not assume a direct role in the volatile Balkan region until the late 1970s. Despite robust cooperation with Albania, mainly built upon a shared opposition to Soviet claims of world communist leadership, it was not until the summer of 1978 that Beijing articulated a coherent policy to deal with Southeastern Europe.

Global Forecast 2011

jdunton — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Suspicions, Misconceptions, and Mistakes

bbocka — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Prelude
In spring 2010 after the landslide elections (also known as the “voting booth revolution” by the ruling party), the Young Democrats (Fidesz) gained 68 percent of the seats in Hungary’s National Assembly.

Wider Europe, Spring 2011

bbocka — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The Transition to Authoritarianism

Kazakhstan’s OSCE Chairmanship 2010

jdunton — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This report provides an end-of-year assessment of the 2010 Kazakh chairmanship of the 56-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The CSIS-IND Task Force has provided extensive analysis and comprehensive recommendations to the Kazakh government in order to assist it in providing effective leadership of the OSCE.

Policy Brief Number 9 -- After the Astana Summit: More Questions than Answers

bbocka — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The OSCE Astana Summit on December 1-2, 2010 concluded with an important Commemorative Declaration outlining the road ahead for the organization, but failed to adopt a tangible Action Plan.

Managing the Challenge of Russian Energy Policies

jdunton — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Following the breakup of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, the leaders of Russia, including then-President Boris Yeltsin, searched for new methods of continuing to exert influence over the former Soviet-controlled region. The Kremlin at first used an energy blockade to the Baltic States in 1990 in an attempt to prevent their breakaway from the Soviet Union.

CSIS-EKEM Policy Report Number Four

bbocka — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Since the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords in 1995 and the NATO air campaign against Yugoslavia in 1999, the countries of the Western Balkans have faced a new challenge of promoting human security. Human security was first defined by former Special Advisor to the United Nations Development Program Administrator, Dr.

Georgian Lessons

jdunton — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Russia’s invasion, occupation, and partition of Georgia in August 2008 initially sent shock waves throughout Europe and NATO and appeared to signal a new confrontational phase in Moscow’s relations with the West.

Kazakhstan’s OSCE Chairmanship 2010

jdunton — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

This report provides an interim assessment of Kazakhstan’s Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) chairmanship by comparing the stated priorities and agenda of the Kazakh government, as well as the recommendations issued by the CSIS–Institute for New Democracies Task Force, with the actions undertaken by the OSCE chair during the past nine months.

CSIS-EKEM Policy Report Number Three

bbocka — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Despite the fact that the EU and the West Balkan states face the common challenges of increasing energy efficiency, reducing import dependency, and expanding renewable energy sources (RES), the current state of affairs in the region is inadequate or sub-standard, with the sole exception of Croatia, which has advanced significantly in aligning its legislation and policies with the EU acquis comm

Western Balkans Policy Review 2010

jdunton — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The Western Balkans Policy Review, launched by the CSIS Lavrentis Lavrentiadis Chair, is a unique publication that systematically examines the progress of the Balkan Peninsula and the challenges this unsettled region continues to face.

Kosovo at the Crossroads: Impact of the International Court of Justice Ruling

ian — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: What impact will the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding Kosovo’s declaration of independence have on the country’s international standing?

Policy Brief Number 8: Formulating an OSCE Summit Agenda

bbocka — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Executive Summary

The last OSCE summit, at which key decisions on pan-European security were adopted, took place in Istanbul in November 1999. These decisions included the Agreement of Adaptation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) and associated political commitments, the Charter for European Security, and the revised Vienna Document of the Negotiations on Confidence and Security Building Measures.

Poland After the Elections

mentman — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: What impact will the election of President Bronislaw Komorowski have on Polish politics and economic development?

Lack of Transparency in Russian Energy Trade

jdunton — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

A major challenge to the new democracies of Central Europe is the corruption and lack of transparency in the importing of oil and natural gas from Russia and other energy producing states once part of the Soviet Union. This situation also undermines good governance and ethical business practices in the large and wealthier countries of Europe.

Business In Bulgaria: An Overview for Investors and Managers in 2010

bbocka — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Commentary on the business environment in Bulgaria must begin with a discussion of corruption. For the bulk of Bulgaria’s short post-communist history since 1989, corruption has been an important defining context of doing business in the country.

Policy Brief Case Study: The OSCE and the 2010 Crisis in Kyrgyzstan

bbocka — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Executive Summary

CSIS-EKEM Policy Report Number Two

bbocka — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The fall of communism and the ensuing Yugoslav wars of the 1990s rendered the region especially vulnerable to organized crime, human trafficking, smuggling, and corruption. Officially tolerated or politically sponsored criminality was commonplace due to the enduring legacy of communism and international sanctions during the wars of Yugoslav succession.

Bringing Energy Security to East Central Europe

jdunton — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The energy security challenges that for the past two decades have confronted the countries of Central and Southeastern Europe (CSEE) continued into 2010. The European Union still lacks an effective common energy policy or even a common energy market. The divisions between the interests of the older and newer EU members persist.

CSIS-EKEM Policy Report Number One

bbocka — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The Western Balkan countries face significant challenges in building an effective transportation infrastructure. They need to restore and expand the transport links that tied them together before the devastation of the Yugoslav wars. Albania, on the other hand, needs to develop routes with its neighbors, in the aftermath of the communist regime’s isolationist policies.

Greek PM in Washington at Important Time

sherry — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Q1: What did Prime Minister George Papandreou of Greece hope to accomplish during his visits to Berlin, Paris, and Luxembourg prior to visiting Washington?

Russia-Europe Energy Relations

jdunton — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

In this report, the author argues that the national security risks posed by Russian energy policies are only tangentially related to Europe’s dependency on Russian energy imports. The primary energy risk to Europe, and especially to the newer EU members, stems from the corrosive effect this dependency has on governance and on transatlantic cooperation.

Kazakhstan Announces Priorities for the 2010 OSCE Chairmanship

bbocka — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

On January 14th Kazakhstan announced its priorities for the 2010 Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), an organization that now spans 56 countries and encompasses all of Europe together with the United States, Canada, and each of the former Soviet republics.

Wider Europe, Spring 2010

bbocka — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Lavrentis Lavrentiadis Chair in Southeast European Studies Publication

Policy Brief Number 6: Kazakhstan Holds the OSCE Chair

pfrank — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

On January 1, 2010, Kazakhstan assumed the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), an organization that includes 56 countries, including the United States. Kazakhstan is the first Central Asian, post-Soviet, and predominantly Muslim state to chair the OSCE, an organization that celebrates its 35th birthday this year.

Kazakhstan's OSCE Chairmanship

jdunton — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) designated Kazakhstan as its chairman-in-office (CiO) for the year 2010. The selection of Kazakhstan to chair a major European organization is a precedent: it is the first post-Soviet country, the first predominantly Muslim country, and the first Central Asian country to be entrusted with such a responsibility.

Policy Brief Number 5: Kazakhstan and the OSCE Human Dimension

bbocka — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

This policy brief focuses on the challenges to the OSCE Human Dimension and the challenges to Kazakhstan as Chairman-in-Office of the organization in 2010.

Wider Europe, Fall 2009

bbocka — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The first issue of the Wider Europe publication from the Lavrentis Lavrentiadis Chair in Southeast European Studies features articles by:

Janusz Bugajski

Policy Brief Number 4: Kazakhstan’s Contribution to the OSCE Economic Dimension

bbocka — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

One of the main factors behind the November 2007 decision to award Kazakhstan the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2010 was to recognize the country’s economic achievements and its economic potential.

Policy Brief Number 3: The OSCE Political-Military and Security Dimension

bbocka — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Kazakhstan sought the position of OSCE Chairman-in-Office for a number of reasons, including enhanced security and national prestige. Kazakhstan can only achieve these latter goals if it is an active chairman. The agenda Astana adopts should reflect Eurasia’s multiple security challenges as well as the OSCE’s declining capacity to serve as an effective security organization.

Vice President Biden in Georgia

sherry — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: Vice President Joe Biden is visiting Tbilisi this week to meet with President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia. What is the purpose of his trip?

Policy Brief Number 2: Challenges to the OSCE Chairman-in-Office in 2010

ian — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The major challenge facing Kazakhstan during its chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2010 will be to preserve the mandate of the Offi ce of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), which has been contested by Russia and several CIS participating states.

Policy Brief Number 1: Kazakhstan's Strategic Significance

bbocka — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The decision by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to award Kazakhstan the chairmanship of the organization for 2010 underscores a growing recognition of the country’s regional and continental importance.

Ukraine--A Net Assessment of 16 Years of Independence

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

In February 2008, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) publicly released a report entitled Ukraine: A Net Assessment of 16 Years of Independence. The report was prepared for the U.S.-EU Partnership Committee for Ukraine, which is cochaired by Zbigniew Brzezinski and Volker Ruehe.

Expanding Eurasia

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Moscow’s overarching ambition toward Europe is to expand the “Eurasian space” in which Russia is the dominant political player.

Georgia

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Russia’s invasion of Georgia has dramatically brought to the surface the strategic confrontation between Russia and the West.

EU Sanctions on Bulgaria

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: Why is the European Commission suspending financial aid to Bulgaria worth hundreds of millions of euros?

Western Investment in Central and Eastern Europe:

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In the fall of 2007, the CSIS New European Democracies Project (NEDP) launched an initiative to focus on salient economic issues impacting the states of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) entitled, &

Ukraine (English Version)

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Ukrainian people and their government have accomplished much since regaining independence in 1991—in terms of political and economic reform and in building constructive foreign relations with the West and Russia. The record is impressive, perhaps the most impressive of any state to have emerged from the defunct Soviet Union, with the exception of the Baltic nations.

Ukraine (Ukrainian Version)

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

European Commission Warns Romania and Bulgaria

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Q1: Why has the European Commission issued a report criticizing the European Union’s two newest members, Romania and Bulgaria?

Kosovo Decision Will Have International Ramifications

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

A decision on the final status of Kosovo is imminent.

Select Briefing Vol. 4, No. 39

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Select Briefing Vol. 4, No. 38

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Select Briefing Vol. 4, No. 37

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Select Briefing Vol. 4, No. 36

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400