The biggest terrorist attack in the history of the Turkish Republic took place on 11 May in Reyhanlı, in Hatay province, close to the border with Syria. The attacks have put Erdoğan’s government in a difficult position, both domestically and internationally. more »
On 12 May early parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria. They were called as a result of the biggest public protests against the low standard of living and the entire political class since the mid-1990s. These elections have not brought about any breakthrough on the Bulgarian political scene. more »
On 7-8 May the US new Secretary of State John Kerry paid his first official visit to Moscow. The way the visit developed along with Kerry’s rhetoric point to the fact that the Obama administration is consistently seeking to repeat the reset policy as it is trying to create a favourable climate for it. more »
On 11 May the first direct railway connection in history between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan was opened. The newly established route is the first railway infrastructure project to link both countries, bypassing the territory of Uzbekistan with which neither of the two countries have traditionally had warm relations. more »
The economy of breakaway Transnistria is a peculiar combination of the command-and-distribution model inherited from the USSR with elements of a free-market economy which is heavily dependent on Russian energy and financial subsidies. The main pillars of the region’s economy are several large industrial plants, built in the Soviet era, which generate more than half of its GDP (in 2012, Transnistria’s GDP reached around US$1 billion). more »
Although the Republic of Belarus is constitutionally designated as a neutral country1, it is in fact closely connected with Russia’s own security and defence architecture. Within the Union State of Belarus and Russia, the armed forces are integrated to an extent unequalled in the world. A legacy of the Soviet division of labour, the Belarusian defence industry complex remains structurally dependent on Russia, which is its main raw material provider, outlet for exports and intermediary on world markets. more »
Ukraine has had to wait nearly four decades for this opportunity to regain its status of a major gas producer. Gas from unconventional sources may lead not only to Ukraine becoming self-sufficient in terms of energy supplies, but may also result in it beginning to export gas. more »
Despite the conflicts and frictions in their bilateral relations, Russia has for years regularly invested in Belarus. Moscow’s support has become an important factor allowing the Belarusian economic model to continue, which in turn helps maintain the stability of the Belarusian political system. Russia's continued readiness to offer assistance to its neighbour reflects the importance Moscow attaches to Belarus. more »
Sweden finds itself in the midst of the most heated debates about defence policy and the direction of military reforms since the end of the Cold War, as Stockholm faces the challenge of finding a new military security formula. more »
After winning the 2010 presidential election, Viktor Yanukovych and his government developed an ambitious and comprehensive programme of reforms across key areas of social and political life. The return to a presidential system of government created the ideal conditions for the introduction of deep reforms: it allowed Viktor Yanukovych to consolidate more power than any other Ukrainian president before him. more »
Most participants in the Russian public debate seem to agree in their evaluation of the present condition of Russian-Chinese relations. There is awareness of increasing inequality between these two powers and Russia’s weakening position as compared to China. more »
The Kurdish issue remains a serious challenge to the stability and security of both Turkey and much of the Middle East. Over the last ten years, however, the region has witnessed substantial major changes (including, Turkey’s socio-political transformation, and the wars in Iraq and Syria), which have altered the conditions under which the so-called ‘Kurdish problem’ has been approached. more »
On 9 April 2013 the Centre for Eastern Studies hosted delegation of the Parliament of Georgia with its chairman David Usupashvili. The meeting with OSW experts was devoted to the issues of foreign policy priorities and internal situation in Georgia.
On 28 March 2013 r. at OSW office a seminar entitled "Trading off sovereignty. The outcome of Belarus's integration with Russia in the security and defence field" took place. Discussion was dedicated to the issues of Belarusian-Russian close relations in the field of security and defence.
On 25 March 2013 the Centre for Eastern Studies hosted Prof. Marie Mendras, a research fellow at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) in Paris and a professor at Sciences Po, author of the book "Russian Politics. The Paradox of a Weak State".
On 15 March at OSW office a seminar entitled “Short-term recession or a long-lasting crisis?” took place. It was devoted to the current situation and the prospects for the development of the Ukrainian economy.
