Region Related Event Feeds

Beware the Backburner: The Risk of a Neglected Europe

ian — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Washington’s pivot toward Asia and its frustration over Europe’s mishandling of its debt crisis have left European nations wondering if this means they now get the cold shoulder.

2012 Global Forecast

ian — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

DIIG Current Issues No. 28: Defense Industrial Policy the Iranian Way

rlivergood — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

In February 2012, the Islamic Republic of Iran celebrated the 33rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution with the unveiling of new defense acquisition programs and the launch of a spy satellite.

Injection Drug Use in Ukraine

jdunton — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Ukraine has been experiencing what has now become Europe’s most severe HIV epidemic. As of 2009, people who inject drugs (PWID) represented about 60 percent of all HIV-infected people in Ukraine, and nearly 50 percent of new HIV infections registered in 2010 were among PWID.

Critical Questions for 2012

ian — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

From international security and regional study to global challenges, CSIS experts will address many of the world's most difficult policy concerns and critical questions in 2012. To kick off the new year, we asked 25 of our scholars to identity what worries them most and what are the biggest opportunities in their respective areas of study.

TWQ: Russian Foreign Policy: Continuity in Change - Winter 2012

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The imminent return of Vladimir Putin to the presidency of the Russian Federation in 2012 raises many questions about the future of Russian foreign and security policy as well as U.S.–Russia relations. To what extent will Putin seek to continue and implement the goals of current President Dmitri Medvedev’s modernization program?

The European Sovereign Debt Crisis in Review and Happy Holidays to You!

ian — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

We thought it would be appropriate to celebrate this festive holiday season with a review of the past 12 months of the European debt crisis. Europe has been constantly in the headlines this year, but very little of it has been good news. As the year draws to a close, we have written the following analysis in the spirit of a favorite holiday song, “The 12 Days of Christmas.”

Is Britain Leaving Europe?

sherry — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

At an EU summit meeting in Brussels, December 8 and 9, Britain’s Conservative prime minister David Cameron provoked a fury by vetoing a planned new EU treaty imposing tighter fiscal discipline on euro members to help resolve the debt crisis in the eurozone and prevent its recurrence.

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.

TWQ: American and European Responses to the Arab Spring: What’s the Big Idea? - Fall 2011

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

How can Europe and the United States support democratic transitions in a way that is acceptable to the Arab countries, effective in inducing genuine change, and affordable at a time when both continents are confronting fiscal crises?

Russian Soft Power in the 21st Century

jdunton — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

This study examines the current state of relations among Russia, Estonia, and ethnic Russians living in Estonia. The report pays special attention to the Russian Compatriot Policy, which seeks to codify the relationship of the Russian diaspora to its homeland, and to evaluate its effectiveness as a soft power foreign policy tool in Estonia.

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.

TWQ: Crimea’s Overlooked Instability - Summer 2011

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

It was, perhaps unfortunately, a picture broadcast round the world. Ditching decorum, Ukraine’s protesting parliamentarians hurled eggs, set off smoke-belching flares, poured glue in voting machines, and duked it out (literally) within their legislative chamber on April 27, 2010.

Wider Europe, Summer 2011

bbocka — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Serbia and Kosova: Talks Need Political Targets

Global Aging and the Future of Emerging Markets

tpeter — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The rich world may be leading the way into humanity’s graying future, but much of the developing world is not far behind. The CSIS Global Aging Initiative’s latest report, Global Aging and the Future of Emerging Markets, looks at the potential impact of shifting demographics on economic growth and social and political stability in emerging markets.

Wider Europe, Spring 2011

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

The Transition to Authoritarianism

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.

Wider Europe, Fall 2010

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

Featured article "Unintended Strategic Consequences" analyzing recent developments on Russia's role in the international arena.

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.

TWQ: Getting Back on Track in Bosnia-Herzegovina - Fall 2010

asnyder — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

"The international officials who have run Bosnia as a virtual protectorate since the West forced a peace deal in 1995 are eager to scale back their presence here soon," reported the New York Times eight years ago. Sadly, not much has changed since. Bosnia was Europe’s first major post-Cold war tragedy.

TWQ: Decoding Turkish Foreign Policy Hyperactivity - Fall 2010

asnyder — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Ever since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) initially assumed power in 2002, soon after the September 11, 2001 attacks, international media has devoted more attention to developments in Turkey. For domestic observers, the conservative Muslim AKP’s emergence and subsequent landslide victory in 2007 evoked fears about eroding secularism in the country.

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.

Economic Transformation and the Future of Capitalism

jdunton — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

“Economic Transformation and the Future of Capitalism: Lessons Learned from Poland’s Success in Economically Turbulent Times” was sponsored and organized by the CSIS Europe Program, the World Bank, the Institute of International Finance, and the Polish-American Freedom Foundation, in association with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland and held at the World Bank on November

Wider Europe, Late Summer 2010

bbocka — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Articles included in this edition are:

Poland's Landmark Election
Hard Reality at the Sarajevo Summit
Greek Economic Repercussions for Albania

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

European Defense Trends: Annotated Brief

gsanders — Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

An in-depth understanding of the supply and demand sides of the European defense market and the regulatory framework that governs it is critical to assessing broader European defense policies and capabilities.

Wider Europe

bbocka — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Articles include:

Resolving the Macedonian Name Dispute
The Curse of Katyn
Reaching Out to Belarus
Political Deadlock in Albania

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.

HIV Prevention among Injection Drug Users

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

In 2008, the United States agreed to extend and expand its historic global HIV/AIDS program, authorizing up to $48 billion over five years to combat global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

TWQ: Why Doesn’t Russia Join the WTO? - Spring 2010

asnyder — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Why is Russia interested in becoming a member of the WTO? What are the impediments? During his first term (2000—2003), Putin strongly supported WTO entry, but in his second (2004—2008), he lost interest in further market reform. Consequently, progress on WTO accession slowed to a snail’s pace.

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.

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.

President Obama’s Decision to Forgo the U.S.-EU Summit in May and What It Means for Future U.S.–EU Relations

sherry — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Q1: Why has President Obama decided not to attend the U.S.-EU Summit scheduled to be held in Spain in May?

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.

TWQ: Resetting U.S.-Russian Relations: It Takes Two - Winter 2010

asnyder — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

In controversial comments made as he was returning from a July trip to Georgia and Ukraine, Vice President Joseph R.

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