By 2004, if all goes according to plan, the European Union will expand from 15 to 25 members. Is this a vital step on the road to the full unification of the European continent? Or is it the start of the collapse of the EU in its current form? What effects will enlargement have on…
Just like their predecessors Yeltsin and Clinton, presidents Putin and Bush enjoy a strongly personalized relationship. This chemistry, says Ehsan Ahrari, will be the defining factor in maintaining Russia’s relations with the west at a time of growing stresses and disagreements – The relationship between Russia and the US under George W Bush is similar…
Russia’s economic recovery has been impressive since the country’s financial crisis in 1998. But power remains concentrated in a small number of large industrial groups. A much broader industrial and entrepreneurial base is necessary if Russia is to achieve its economic ambitions, says Ben Aris – Russian president Vladimir Putin set Russia the task of…
Economic competition between Malaysia and Singapore is increasing, as each fights for a bigger share of the southeast Asian economy. But, as Andrew Cohen reports, this is a fight in which there are likely to be no losers – From his office on the 27th floor of Singapore’s SGX Centre, Patrick Wale overlooks a fleet…
Does China’s leadership transition signal the start of a period of political change to match the economic reforms that have been unleashed in the country? Or does it herald a spell of political instability at a time when China can least afford it? Marsha Vande Berg analyzes the prospects for political, economic and social change…
South Korea’s remarkable revival from the financial crisis of five years ago is just the latest example of the country’s spirit of collective survival at work. As Yoon Tae-Hee describes, South Korea’s reform and renaissance provides a role model for other nations and is testimony to an extraordinary, perhaps unique, sense of national determination –…
Malaysian prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has presided over a transformation of his country. As Asia’s longest-serving head of government, in power for more than two decades, the prime minister has introduced and implemented a policy framework designed to propel his country into a developed society. He encourages foreign investment, especially in the high-tech arena,…
State failure is the greatest threat to world order, says Sergio Vieira de Mello. Only a global commitment to the rule of law and multilateral governance can counter this growing menace – so as to root out terrorism, bolster security and protect human rights – There are times in human history when change seems to…
Any international intervention in Iraq will require not just the winning of a war, but the building of a peace and the rebuilding of a nation as well. Sadako Ogata, the former UN high commissioner for refugees, looks at the record in Afghanistan to see how military action, humanitarian aims and nation-building can be linked…
The pursuit of freedom, democracy and peace in the Middle East is an objective shared by all and in the interests of all. But, says former UK foreign secretary Douglas Hurd, in the disagreement and misunderstanding about how to achieve these aims lies the potential for even greater conflict. – We are living through a…
