Iraq, Middle East and Africa

In: International affairs: a Russian journal of world politics, diplomacy and international relations, Band 51, Heft 1, S. 26-33

Abstract

Economic and political developments within Iraq, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa in 2004 are reviewed. Although the formation of the Iraqi Interim Government illustrates the country's commitment to building democratic institutions, it is stressed that violence has not subsided; Russia's role in promoting peaceful negotiations between conflicting political powers in Iraq is noted. The effects of the second Palestinian intifada upon Israeli forces, the Israeli government's construction of partitions in certain neighborhoods, and the death of Palestinian official Yasser Arafat upon the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the prospects of realizing the "Road Map" are then contemplated. Even though many sub-Saharan African nations are plagued by sundry economic, political, and social difficulties, it is stressed that the international community has maintained a sharp interest in the continent. Russia's cultivation of economic and political relations with several sub-Saharan African nations, involvement in reducing interethnic conflict throughout the region, advocacy of reducing particular countries' debts, and commitment to assisting these nations achieve stability and greater global authority are also discussed.