Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – “What idiocy”, exclaims Jack Matlock on Facebook. Matlock is one of my “Facebook Friends” because I judge his knowledge of Russia as second to none, having been under President Ronald Reagan the White House’s senior advisor on the Soviet Union and, later, his ambassador to Moscow. The […]
India, Russia Synergize and Leverage Mutual Strengths
By Shastri Ramachandaran* NEW DELHI (IDN) –The Modi-Putin relationship is, perhaps, the most fascinating of India’s external “affairs”. The reasons for their diplomatic bonding and evolving personal chemistry may be many. And, the dazzle of events and optics, as is the wont in any political romance, take the focus away from tangible outcomes. This is […]
Sochi Summit Expected to Open Russia’s Door to Africa
By Kester Kenn Klomegah MOSCOW (IDN) – As Sochi, a Russian city located on the Black Sea coast, prepares to host African leaders, experts have been discussing the possible outcome of this first high-level event in the history of Russian-African relations, with the heads of all states of the African continent invited, as well as […]
Russia and China Are Coming Closer Again
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – In her famous decree in 1767 Empress Catherine the Great proclaimed Russia to be a European power. She wanted Russia to be a major player in European politics. She compelled the Europeans to accept Russia as a great power as a condition for doing business. In 1815 […]
Blue Water Navy Plays an Important Role in Russian Diplomacy
By Mark Thomas-Patterson* WASHINGTON, DC (IDN) – July 28 marked Russia’s Naval Day, one of the series of military holidays celebrated in the country. The highlight of this year’s festivities was the first national fleet review in seven years, with President Vladimir Putin present at the main parade in St. Petersburg while Prime Minister Dmytry […]
Russia Prepares for Africa Summit to Elevate Economic Profile
By Kester Kenn Klomegah MOSCOW (IDN) – As Russia prepares to strengthen its overall corporate economic profile during the African leaders’ summit in Sochi in October, policy experts are questioning agreements that were signed – many of them largely unfulfilled and forgotten – at least in the past decade with African countries. Experts, such as […]
Russia-Côte d’Ivoire Agree to Elevate Bilateral Relations
By Kester Kenn Klomegah MOSCOW (IDN) – The ways and means of invigorating bilateral relations in political, trade, economic, educational and humanitarian areas were the centrepiece of the first diplomatic encounter between Foreign Minister Marcel Amon-Tanoh of Côte d’Ivoire, also known as Ivory Coast, and his counterpart Sergey Lavrov of Russia, in Moscow. The two […]
The Liberal Order Needs to Be Profoundly Reformed
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – The attack on “the liberal idea” by Vladimir Putin in his long interview in the Financial Times at the end of June is still vibrating in my mind. First, I’d like to know if the Russian people share his views on immigration. In Britain and the U.S., […]
World Parliamentarians Look Forward to Fruitful Cooperation
By Kester Kenn Klomegah MOSCOW (IDN) – Parliamentarians from the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa gathered here for a three-day international forum at the initiative of the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, to discuss the development of international parliamentarism and the most pressing national, regional and […]
Economic Growth Makes Africa Highly Popular with Investors
Viewpoint by Dmitry Medvedev The following are extensive extracts from the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s remarks on June 21, 2019 to the Russia-Africa Conference and the general meeting of shareholders of the African Export-Import Bank, a leading regional financial institution. This was only the second meeting of the Bank’s shareholders outside the African continent. […]