Suchergebnisse

Reports on a roundtable discussion held in the editorial offices of International Affairs to review foreign policy in 2007 & to consider the outlook for 2008. Participants included key government officials, scholars, & journalists familiar with the situation in Russia. There was strong support for the current direction of Russian foreign policy & agreement that Russia is experiencing steady growth & raising its profile in international politics. However, there was also awareness of conflicts within Russian society over the economy, civil rights, & the arrogance of power. Special attention was given to the importance of the continuing dialogue between Russia & the US; Russia's relationship & cooperation with the European Union; & prospects for the future of the Commonwealth of Independent States which turned 16 in 2007. China was seen as Russia's biggest problem. The need for Russia to accelerate development of its Far East policies & increase efforts to combat global warming was emphasized along with the need for the US to review its destructive policies in regard to Iraq. J. Lindroth

A roundtable discussion on the problems and prospects of European integration, featuring Consul General of the Russian Federation in Simferopol, Vyacheslav Svetlichny; Deputy Director, Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the European Programs of the Russky Mir Foundation, Alexey Gromyko; and President of the Institute of European Studies, Alexander Gaponenko; and moderated by Armen Oganesyan is presented. Today touch on many humanitarian issues related to the impact of the crisis in Europe, affecting both the practical issues and issues of mentality. Svetlichny says currently, they are going through a very difficult period, both in Russian-Ukrainian bilateral relations as well as for each of the countries represented here. There are plans to sign a Ukraine-European Union association agreement that has caused hot debates, and Crimea was not left aside. Meanwhile, Gromyko says the 21St century brings them all face to face with an intriguing paradox: to stay internationally important and influential under the new historical conditions, it is necessary for states aspiring to obtain leading roles in regional and global governance not to follow the traditional line on national sovereignty, but, on the contrary, to strive to become the core of an integrative alliance, even if that involves delegating a part of their sovereignty to supranational structures. Adapted from the source document.