Bilateral Cooperation Agreements Research Articles

Reflections on the settlement of fisheries disputes between the EU-UK in the post-Brexit era: Lessons for China’s fishery enforcement disputes settlement

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement sets out in details the mechanism for resolving fisheries disputes between the EU and the UK. It consists of the following core components: the mechanism for the settlement of fisheries disputes arising from access to waters, the mechanism for the settlement of fisheries disputes arising from failure to fulfill fisheries obligations, the Specialised Committee on Fisheries as a platform for consultation, and the Arbitration Tribunal for Disputes. Although it has assisted both parties to resolve fisheries disputes peacefully within the framework of international law, the implementation of the mechanism still faces a number of challenges. At present, China is facing long-term and complex fishery enforcement disputes with neighboring countries. Although China has signed bilateral fishery cooperation agreements with several countries, the establishment of an effective fishery enforcement disputes settlement mechanism on fisheries remains unresovled. This paper on the EU-UK fishery dispute mechanism aims to provide some experience and lessons for China to resolve fishery enforcement disputes with neighboring countries more effectively. This paper is mainly divided into three parts, the first part is mainly about the overview of the EU-UK fishery dispute mechanism, the second part is the dilemma of China's fishery enforcement dispute settlement, and the third part is the lessons from the EU-UK fishery dispute mechanism.

Network Context and the Effectiveness of International Agreements

Abstract Why do some international agreements yield more cooperation than others? I argue that the network context of agreements conditions their effectiveness. I focus on bilateral defense cooperation agreements (DCAs), which promote defense activities like joint military exercises, peacekeeping, arms trade, and the sharing of classified information. Because DCAs emphasize ongoing cooperative actions, they offer an ideal setting to assess treaty effectiveness. The analysis shows that when agreements are embedded in transitive “friend of friend” relations, characterized by extensive ties to common third parties, they generate higher levels of cooperation. I argue that this network effect is the result of policy convergence. When states share ties with common third parties, their own policies become more closely aligned, and this alignment in turn reduces the costs and increases the benefits of cooperative actions. The theory and findings developed here apply to a wide array of cooperative interactions across multiple issue areas. The effectiveness of international agreements depends on network context.

The (Political) Economics of Bilateral Investment Treaties—The Unique Trajectory of Brazil

Brazil, after signing several traditional Bilateral Investment Treaties without ratifying them, recently shifted towards a different type of bilateral investment agreement, i.e., Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Agreements. Two claims have been made in the literature regarding the transition from traditional Bilateral Investment Treaties to Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Agreements—Claim #1: The non-ratification of the traditional BITs has not harmed Foreign Direct Investment into Brazil, a claim which puts into question the purpose of Bilateral Investment Treaties. Claim #2: While Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Agreements avoid some of the problems of traditional Bilateral Investment Treaties, on balance they are less effective than traditional Bilateral Investment Treaties would have been. We examine the two claims from an empirical economic point of view. We build on the literature about Brazil’s position vis-à-vis Bilateral Investment Treaties, which must be viewed by an amalgamation of (i) a historical legacy; (ii) domestic initiatives, and (iii) a particular U-turn in the political debate. Using empirical evidence on Foreign Direct Investment effects of Bilateral Investment Treaties, the following conclusions emerge: With regard to claim #1, empirical evidence in general as well as specific to Brazil suggests that Brazil has forgone Foreign Direct Investment by not ratifying traditional Bilateral Investment Treaties. Concerning claim #2, while Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Agreements include alternative dispute settlement mechanisms, which aim at a better compliance of states with the Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Agreements’ rules, rather than the compensation of foreign investors, the lower stringency of the State–State dispute settlement mechanism compared to Investor–State dispute settlement mechanism makes Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Agreements less effective. Yet, this weakening effect must be weighed against the effects on Foreign Direct Investment from innovative clauses in Investment Cooperation and Facilitation Agreements, which are absent in many traditional Bilateral Investment Treaties.

Development of Obligation Tracking System for Internationally Controlled Items in Accordance with Bilateral Nuclear Cooperation Agreements

A Bilateral Nuclear Cooperation Agreement serves as a means to promote effective and universal cooperation while simultaneously guaranteeing overall nuclear nonproliferation. This agreement is legally binding and establishes a significant nuclear relationship between the two countries with strategic, economic, technological, and political aspects. It serves to meet the needs for industrial cooperation on both sides while also reinforcing the principles of nuclear transparency and nonproliferation. Additionally, the agreements are established and defined differently depending on the specific situation, taking into account the country and the type of cooperation. Authorities that sign such agreements must efficiently manage and control the entire process, considering practical aspects. At the implementation level, items subject to the bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement, also known as “Obligated items,” are internationally controlled items that require inventory management and tracking from import to export, including retransfer. The Republic of Korea mandates the management of internationally regulated items, including nuclear materials, in its domestic law. However, the management procedures became more complex following the revision of the Korea-United States Nuclear Cooperation Agreement in 2015, leading to various issues at the field level related to obligated item management. Consequently, a system called the Obligation Tracking System (OTS) for internationally controlled items was developed to strengthen and streamline the scheme, providing necessary information to both Korean regulators and nuclear licensees in a timely manner. This paper explains how the OTS was developed to efficiently fulfill all related obligations imposed on the items subject to the agreement. The main functions of the OTS include (1) establishing a database of obligated items, (2) monitoring items and linking related regulatory information, and (3) generating annual reports.

Belt and road initiative membership and voting patterns in the United Nations General Assembly

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is not only an unprecedented cross-continental infrastructure investment program, it is also a key pillar of China’s foreign policy. The Chinese government seeks to tie BRI member states closer to its political system and to enhance its soft power across the globe. Whether this has been successful has been analyzed for individual countries but, as of yet, there is a paucity of cross-national evidence on the geopolitical impact of the BRI. We collected a novel global dataset on bilateral cooperation agreements with China in the context of the BRI for all states across the globe. We rely on voting similarities in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to analyze whether the decision to join the BRI is linked to geopolitical alignment with China. We apply generalized synthetic control models and community detection algorithms to estimate the impact of BRI membership on voting similarity to China. Our findings show that the signature of BRI membership agreements had no discernible short-term impact on voting similarity to China in most regions of the world. The exception is Europe, where BRI membership induced a backlash against China. Our findings suggest that European states counter-balance to the US and signal their independence from China after signing a BRI agreement.

Cooperation and conflict in Turkish–Israeli relations since the 1990s

ABSTRACT Turkish-Israeli relations, which achieved the level of strategic cooperation in the late 1990s, began to decline in the late 2000s, especially after Israel’s 2008–9 Operation Cast Lead in Gaza. The existing literature enumerates several factors underlying the bilateral relationship but tends to overlook both states’ perceived identities and self-images. Focusing on the identity factor, this article ascribes the deterioration of Turkish-Israeli relations to the major changes in Turkey’s state identity during the years of AKP rule. By way of substantiating this argument, the article provides a brief overview of the literature on the role of state identity in international relations before exploring four case studies that exemplify the influence of state identity on Turkish-Israeli relations: the bilateral military cooperation agreement (1996); Operation Cast Lead and the attendant ‘Davos incident’ (2008–9); the Mavi Marmara crisis (2010); and the ‘Arab Spring’ of the early 2010s.

STRENGTHENING ECONOMIC TIES: THE IMPACT AND POTENTIAL OF SOUTH KOREAN FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN VIETNAM

Economic cooperation has been a key pillar of the relationship between South Korea and Vietnam, with the two nations joining numerous bilateral and multilateral cooperation agreements. Theeconomic ties between the two contries have been strengthened significantly through the Korea-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (KVFTA), which hasprovided a framework for promoting economic cooperation, trade, and investment, fostering stronger and more effective mutual relations between the two nations. As of 2022, Korea's investment scale in Vietnam has reached approximately 80 billion USD, fueling Vietnam's economic growth, employment opportunities, and technology transfers. The paper examines the legal basic for promotingforeign direct investment in Vietnam and delves into the patterns of Korea's FDI in Vietnam,highlighting the expected expansion of Korean firms' investments. The research assesses the potential opportunities and challenges associated with South Korean foreign direct investment in Vietnam. Finally, the study offers several recommendations aimed at mitigating negative outcomes while maximizing the positive impacts of this bilateral relationship within the current context.

When Does Security Cooperation Increase Foreign Aid Allocation?

While many scholars find that security cooperation increases the foreign aid that allies receive from a major power, other studies show that an alliance also has negative effect and its terms can change over time. This article argues that a donor’s security environment impacts its participation in security cooperation and, subsequently, foreign aid allocation to allies. When the security environment is competitive, a donor will concentrate its resources on strengthening its ties with allies. In contrast, when the environment is favorable to a donor, it can use security cooperation as leverage to obtain policy concessions from allies, thus reducing its own foreign aid expenditures. This paper analyzes the aid allocation of three major power donors as well as 72 formal defense pacts and 70 bilateral defense cooperation agreements, and it finds that a favorable security environment allows a donor to reduce its economic contribution to its allies by 19 percent.

Water Resources Protection and Water Management Framework in Western Balkan Countries in Drina River Basin

This paper aimed to point out not only the main sources of water pollution in the Drina River basin, but also the inevitability and importance of an integrative transboundary solution to water management issues, thus maintaining good quality surface and underground water in the context of overall environmental protection and health. This paper did qualitative research of existing water protection situation and made a top-bottom analysis, ranging from European to national, regional, and local levels, using geospatial and geosystemic differentiation analysis methods of spatial-temporal contents. It was concluded that bilateral cooperation agreements between countries in the basin should be reached to eliminate the causes of water pollution and possibly restore water quality.

The strategy for the resolution of marine pollution on the northern coast of Bintan Island Indonesia due to sludge oil with the principle of cooperation to realize the sustainable development goals

One marine pollution source is oil discharge from vessel activity, then spread by the current and the wind. Such as the pollution of the North Coast of Bintan Island adjacent to the Singapore Strait caused by sludge oil which has occurred for years. This pollution has an impact on the sustainability of marine resources and tourism in the area. The countermeasure by the local government is to collect sludge oil using nets. This paper is the result of research on the solution strategy. The research methodology uses Doctrinal legal research with statutory, conceptual, and case approaches. Based on research results the solution strategy for sustainability to marine is to apply the principle of cooperation for user states and littoral states of the Singapore Strait by the treaty because the case is not easy to prove causality through scientific verification, the solution that can be done is by applying the principle of cooperation with bilateral or multilateral cooperation agreements between the littoral state and the user state in the Singapore Strait. That way most effective in resolution and avoiding conflict.

INDO-RUSSIA RELATIONS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO UKRAINIAN IMBROGLIO: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY

Russia has been a longstanding and time-tested partner for India. Development of India-Russia relations has been a key pillar of India’s Foreign policy. India and Russia have enjoyed good relations since 1947 wherein Russia helped India in attaining its goal of economic self-sufficiency through investment in areas of heavy machine-building , mining, energy production and steel plants. Later India and Soviet Union signed the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in august 1971 which was the manifestation of shared goals of the two nations as well as blueprint for the strengthening of regional and global peace and security. After the dissolution of Soviet Union, India and Russia entered into a new Treaty of Friendship and cooperation in January 1993 and a bilateral Military-Technical Cooperation agreement in 1994. As the Indian government’s response to the Russian-Ukrainian crisis received a mixed reaction, it puts a serious introspective question to Indian lawmakers: is Indian foreign policy still dependent upon the big superpowers or are we moving towards Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)? After abstaining in UN Security Council, New Delhi again abstained from voting in United Nations General Assembly on a resolution condemning “in the strongest terms” Russia’s belligerence against Ukraine and calling on Moscow to “immediately, completely, and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from Ukraine’s territory within its internationally recognised borders.” In the current crisis, India has strived to maintain a non-aligned collinear, avoiding pointing a finger or naming names. This has proven to be challenging in the present predicament. It has done so by reiterating fundamental principles enshrined in the UN Charter and international law, but also appeals for a halt to violence and to return for dialogue as “the only response to addressing disagreements and conflicts, however daunting that may sound at this time.”

Free Riding, Network Effects, and Burden Sharing in Defense Cooperation Networks

AbstractHow do states distribute the burdens of collective defense? This paper develops a network theory of burden sharing. We focus on bilateral defense cooperation agreements (DCAs), which promote cooperation in a variety of defense, military, and security issue areas. Using a computational model, we show that DCA partners’ defense spending depends on the network structure of their agreements. In bilateral terms, DCAs increase defense spending by committing states to defense activities and allowing partners to reciprocally punish free riding. However, as a state's local network of defense partnerships grows more densely connected, with many transitive “friend of a friend” relations, DCAs have the countervailing effect of reducing defense spending. The more deeply integrated states are in bilateral defense networks, the less they spend on defense. We distinguish two potential mechanisms behind this effect—one based on efficiency improvements, the other on free riding. An empirical analysis using multilevel inferential network models points more to efficiency than to free riding. Defense networks reduce defense spending, and they do so by allowing countries to produce security more efficiently.

Kerja Sama Indonesia-Singapura di Bidang Ekonomi Digital melalui Pembentukan Kawasan Ekonomi Khusus Nongsa Digital Park di Batam (2018-2020)

Abstract: This research was conducted to determine the realization of the digital economy cooperation agreement between Indonesia and Singapore regarding the Nongsa Digital Park Special Economic Zone in Batam, in this study the author describes how the realization and the opportunities and challenges of the two countries in collaborating in the digital economy sector, as well as outlining the conditions of the digital economy in Indonesia before and after the bilateral cooperation agreement. The research method that the author uses is a qualitative method with a descriptive analysis approach and uses techniques to collect data from primary sources, namely in the form of interviews and secondary data, namely in the form of data obtained through literature studies, in the perspective of international relations, namely with a focus on discussion in the field of bilateral cooperation. This research shows the results of the Indonesia-Singapore bilateral cooperation agreement in the digital economy through the realization of the Nongsa Digital Park Special Economic Zone on Batam in March 2018.Keywords: Digital Economy, Special Economic Zones, Bilateral Cooperation, Realization, Nongsa Digital Park

Portugal’s cartographic responsibility in Africa

This article covers the safety of navigation in Africa and considers the significant limitations both in the hydrographic surveys of several coastal countries, and the production and updating of nautical charting. This responsibility is internationally assumed by other members of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). In the case of the maritime spaces of the Portuguese-speaking African countries (Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola and Mozambique) it has been the responsibility of Portugal, through the Hydrographic Institute (IHPT). IHPT ensures the production of their nautical mapping, which includes a structured and regular collection of hydrographic data, carried out under bilateral cooperation agreements. This responsibility is usually designated to a Primary Charting Authority (PCA). Over the last 20 years, IHPT has taken advantage of a number of opportunities to support Portuguese-speaking African countries. This has ensured considerable steps have been taken to improve hydrographic surveys, the production of new nautical cartography and supporting the development of capabilities in marine sciences and techniques. This is currently one of the IHPTs most relevant programs involving a notable effort; the purpose of this article is its dissemination.

A study of international academic mobility in undergraduate courses at Federal University of São Carlos within the framework of the programs AUGM, Bracol, Bramex and bilateral cooperation agreements

O processo de internacionalização do ensino superior avançou muito nos últimos anos e passou a ser prioridade nas agendas institucionais, como forma de possibilitar o avanço científico/tecnológico, determinante para que as Universidades apareçam no contexto internacional. As atividades associadas à internacionalização vão muito além da mobilidade transfronteiriça de estudantes, pois engloba também o desenvolvimento curricular, a cooperação internacional, o desenvolvimento de pessoal, entre outros aspectos. Neste cenário, esta pesquisa teve o objetivo de avaliar a mobilidade acadêmica internacional em cursos de graduação da Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), no âmbito dos programas Associação de Universidades do Grupo de Montevidéu (AUGM), Programa de Mobilidade Acadêmica Brasil-Colômbia (BRACOL), Programa de Mobilidade Acadêmica Brasil-México (BRAMEX) e acordos bilaterais de cooperação, no período de 2016 a 2019. A presente pesquisa é descritiva e adotou a metodologia quantitativa de survey ou levantamento. A coleta de dados foi feita através de pesquisa documental e aplicação de questionário. A análise dos resultados foi feita por meio do Ranking Médio (RM) dos itens Likert dentro de cada categoria. Dentre os resultados, pode-se inferir que apesar de a mobilidade acadêmica internacional na UFSCar estar em expansão, é possível implementar ações de melhorias com o intuito de aumentar a mobilidade de estudantes incoming e outgoing, a partir dos pontos de fragilidade detectados por meio do questionário. O estudo também buscou oferecer subsídios para ações institucionais por meio dos indicadores apresentados. A limitação e sugestões para estudos futuros são apresentados nas considerações finais.

Partnership and Cooperation Agreements and the European Union's energy security in the context of Central Asia

This article presents a qualitative research with the aim of analysing and prognosing the future of relations between the European Union and hydrocarbon exporting countries in Central Asia, based on bilateral Partnership and Cooperation Agreements. The results of analysis, set within the broader geopolitical competition for influence in the region, distinguishes Turkmenistan's significant role as both potentially important state for the future of the EU's energy security, as well as the greatest challenge in building relations with the states of the region in a framework that requires a common axiological foundation.

The Impact of the “Belt and Road Initiative” on International Scholarship Students

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has had a significant impact on China in political, economic, and cultural terms. This study focuses on the cultural domain, especially on scholarship students from the countries that signed bilateral cooperation agreements with China under the BRI. Using an integrated approach combining the difference-in-differences method and the gravity model, we explore the correlation between the BRI and the increasing number of international scholarship students funded by the Chinese government, as well as the determinants of students' decision to study in China. The panel data from 2010 to 2018 show that the launch of BRI has had a positive impact on the number of scholarship students from BRI countries. The number of scholarship recipients from non-BRI countries also increased, but at a much slower rate than those from BRI countries. The sole exception is the United States, which has trended downward for both state-funded and self-funded students.

Genesis of citizens' rights and security

This study reveals the problem of protecting the rights of migrant workers in the CIS countries. The authors conduct a comparative analysis of international law in the context of the protection of the rights of migrants. The study demonstrates the priority use of bilateral international cooperation agreements that provide the necessary level of protection of the rights of migrant workers. In comparison with bilateral agreements between countries, international cooperation within the framework of bilateral regulation allows for a higher level of protection of migrant workers and their social security. The article demonstrates that the international legal field basically contains generalizing norms and provisions on the status, rights and obligations of migrant workers. On the other hand, the bilateral agreement is being concretized and relevant regulatory legal acts are being implemented more successfully.

Global climate governance: rising trend of translateral cooperation

The transformation from the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Agreement has been analyzed by international relations scholars, international law, and transnational governance theory. The international relations literature looks at the climate regime from a perspective of power distribution, state interests, institutions, and multilateral negotiations. International law theory focuses on legal analysis and design of international climate agreements. The transnational governance literature examines the participation of transnational actors at different levels of governance. However, each of these theories overlooks a bilateral trend of cooperation in a multilateral setting that arises as part of the construction or reconstruction of the international regime. Why do national and subnational public actors in global climate governance cooperate bilaterally when multilateral cooperation already exists? What type of bilateral cooperative agreements do these actors prefer, and why? Using qualitative methods, combining content analysis subsequent interviews, this research empirically demonstrates the role and importance of bilateral transatlantic cooperation and informal agreements between national and subnational actors in global climate governance. Using the EU-US case study, this research identifies a diagonal dimension of interaction between states and transnational actors. It introduces and defines the terms “translateral cooperation” and “translateral agreements” in the new climate regime.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10784-022-09575-6.

Dialogue of Cultures and Common Humanitarian Space: Experience of Cooperation between Educational Institutions of Culture of Russia and Tajikistan

Cultural and humanitarian cooperation between Tajikistan and Russia is developing in accordance with the current strategic objectives of the foreign policy of both countries, existing bilateral and international treaties and cooperation agreements. The priority areas of the interstate partnership are the popularization of the Russian language and culture, as well as the promotion of the "brand" of the Russian higher education in the market of educational services of the post-Soviet space. Institutes of Cultures focused on the training of highly qualified specialists for various areas of the socio-cultural sphere are implementing international educational, scientific and creative projects, promoting the development of an equal mutual beneficial intercultural dialogue, deepening of integration processes in the cultural and educational sphere, strengthening good-neighbourliness of the former Soviet republics.