International Political Issues Research Articles

The Role of Religion in the International Clash of Civilisations: Beliefs and Frictions

This paper is based on Samuel Huntington's theory of the "clash of civilisations" and explores the complex role of religion in the international clash of civilisations. He argues that the post-Cold War global conflict will no longer be a confrontation based on ideology or national interests, but rather a friction between civilisations, particularly over differences in religious beliefs. The role of religion in shaping international relations and inspiring conflict is revealed by analysing a number of key international events and trends, such as religious conflicts in the Middle East, tensions between the West and the Islamic world, and cross-civilizational interactions in the context of globalisation.Firstly, the article explores how religious identity has become an important criterion for distinguishing the self from the other in international relations, especially in the context of the confrontation between Islam and the Western world. Next, the article analyses how religious extremism affects international politics, particularly its role in international terrorism. In addition, it examines how globalisation has exacerbated the friction between religions and civilisations, while at the same time opening up new opportunities for dialogue and understanding between civilisations. Through these case studies, the aim is to shed light on the dual role of religiosity in the international political arena: on the one hand, as a catalyst for divergence and conflict among civilisations, and on the other hand, as a potential conduit for cross-cultural understanding and peaceful dialogue. The article concludes with a discussion of how religion-induced clashes of civilisations can be mitigated through cross-cultural dialogue and cooperation in a multicultural and religiously diverse contemporary international society, contributing to international peace and stability. The study not only provides new ideas and perspectives for understanding major issues in current international politics, but also offers profound insights into dealing with differences and conflicts among civilisations.

Constructing a Green Marketing Model for Tourism and Amusement Industry Development

Environmental sustainability has become an important international political issue and is considered a key driving force of innovation. Therefore, the consumers are paying more and more attention to the sustainably managing and environmentally friendly enterprises, and the enterprises are paying more and more attention to the importance of the green environmental management strategies. Relatively they must pay attention to the issue of "sustainable management" which is an important consideration direction for the development strategy of business management. This study uses fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to conduct empirical analysis on tourism industry operators.In order to cope with changes in the market environment, it is necessary to promote the development strategy of "green marketing" to achieve sustainable management. When considering "sustainable operation", we should explore the development model of procurement, operation, and marketing. Therefore, this study suggests that the development of "green marketing" in the tourism industry should take "brand loyalty" and "corporate image" as the most important indicators.

Роль США в обеспечении энергетической безопасности Федеративной Республики Германия

The United States is striving to confirm the status of a world leader in the field of traditional energy and consid-ers cooperation with the European Union (EU) in this area a priority. The aim of this study is to identify existing and potential problems of modern energy cooperation between the United States and Germany. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that the identified problems can become the basis for refuting the view, popular in the scientific and analytical community, of the United States as the main guarantor of the energy security of the EU and, consequently, Germany at the present stage of superpolarization of the world order. An analysis of energy (gas) cooperation between the USA and Germany was carried out to identify the possibility of ensuring Germa-ny’s energy security through American liquefied natural gas (LNG). The theoretical and methodological founda-tions for studying energy issues in international politics are described, incorporating selected approaches into the study that allow analysis using the logical method and the modeling method. Based on the root causes of energy cooperation between the United States and Germany, its modern aspects are studied. The practical significance delves into the fact that the materials and conclusions can be used to further study and analyze the issue of ensuring Germany’s energy security.

Textbooks on the international relations theory: What they talk about, what they keep silent about, and what to do about it

Theory represents the highest form of scientific knowledge in any discipline, a sort of certificate of maturity of the latter, and, at the same time, the key to its systematic teaching and understanding. From this point of view, international studies show a somewhat paradoxical picture. On the one hand, at the moment there is no shortage of either theoretical studies of international political issues or textbooks on the theory of international relations. On the other hand, their common leitmotif remains the idea that international studies either have not yet acquired a full-f ledged theory, or, due to their inherent complexity, dynamism and inconsistency are not subject to systematic generalization in principle. As a result, teaching of the IR theory turns out to be equally inconvenient for the lecturers, if they want to not just bombard students with terms and personalities, but teach them to effectively use different concepts and approaches, and for students. The author argues that these difficulties stem not only from the objective complexity of international processes and problems, but also from the subjective theoretical, methodological and philosophical specifics of the textbooks on the IR theory. To substantiate this claim this paper examines a selection of modern Russian and foreign textbooks on IR theory. The first section summarizes their key advantages, which include, first of all, the fact that they all successfully perform an educational function, introducing the reader to the key approaches, schools and theories that form the ‘body’ of modern IR theory. In this regard, one can easily find both textbooks specially designed for an unprepared audience which provide an introduction to the discipline, and publications containing an in-depth analysis of the driving forces and internal logic of the IR theory development. At the same time, as shown in the second section, all modern textbooks on IR theory share a number of common short-comings, which can be divided into methodological and philosophical ones. The former include not sufficiently substantiated logic of presentation, the lack of clear criteria for structuring the material and explicitly formulated principles for selecting approaches to be considered. The latter imply reliance on extremely shaky philosophical assumptions, which, consciously or not, reproduce post-modernist views on the problems of ontology and epistemology of international relations and international studies. And it is in a critical revision of these basic philosophical principles where, according to the author, lies the key to addressing the problems in both teaching the IR theory and formulating the theory of international relations in the strict sense.

Development and evaluation of parallel simulated annealing algorithm for reactor core optimization problems

Background The optimization of core loading patterns in nuclear reactors is one of the most studied optimization problems in nuclear engineering due to the enormous economical and safety benefits. Various algorithms such as Genetic Algorithms (GA), Simulated Annealing (SA), and Parallel Simulated Annealing (PSA) have been used in the past for such problems. Methods In this work, a PSA algorithm was developed and integrated into the Modularly Implemented Design Assistance Suite (MIDAS), a framework developed at North Carolina State University to solve nuclear engineering problems. The effectiveness of PSA was compared against the GA and SA algorithms available in MIDAS for a Pressurized Water Reactor first cycle core loading pattern optimization problem. Results PSA consistently generates more optimal solutions than SA and GA by having the higher average fitness, and showing less variance in its performance and thus being more robust. This provides confidence in the PSA implementation within MIDAS. The obtained loading pattern positions high reactive fuel in peripheral locations and low reactive fuel towards the centers in a strategy resembling both Out-In-Checkboard and L3P loading patter approaches. Conclusions Future studies will involve applying the PSA algorithm to other optimization studies in larger combinatorial spaces, such as in multi-cycle optimization problems.

A Study on the Discourse Guidance of Major International Political Issues in the Returnee’s Overseas Teacher in Zhejiang Province

This research mainly investigates the level of discourse guidance among returnees overseas teachers in Zhejiang province. Moreover, the related aspects of political consciousness, political attitude, feedback, and discourse guidance are also investigated. 356 Chinese university returnees overseas teachers in Zhejiang province have been involved in this study. There is a medium level of political consciousness, a high level of attitude, a medium level of feedback, and a low level of discourse guidance. This study also explores the characteristics of discourse expression, reactions, and factors in discussing major international political issues among returnees overseas teachers. Some implications are also proposed.

Resolving the Palestine-Israel Conflict: The Role and Challenges for the United Nations

The conflict between Israel and Palestine has become an important issue in international politics. International organizations such as the United Nations (UN) are trying to resolve this conflict through various resolutions and peace efforts. However, various factors, including differences in views, the influence of the Jewish lobby in the United States, and political obstacles, have hindered significant progress. Israel's separation wall in the West Bank has also become the focus of international legal debate and contention. This article presents an overview of the UN's role in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the impact of its policies. The UN, especially the Security Council, has a central role in maintaining international peace, but the difficulties in dealing with these conflicts reveal its limitations.

The Katyń Forest Massacre

This article explores the relationship between political expediency, perception management, and governmental goals. The subject matter forms the research question of “How a tool such as perception management can be used to politically expedite a government’s interests and goals?” It is understood that these ends can be achieved through the usage of perception management by constructing them from a given audience’s interests and values. The concept of perception management is introduced to the reader and illustrated by the example of the United States government’s knowledge of the Katyń Forest Massacre. This article is presented in two parts – the United States’ initial conclusion that the Nazi party was responsible for the massacre and its later reassignment of fault to the Soviet Union. The first instance which involved the reconstruction of truth, was used to politically advance the United States’ cooperation with the Soviet Union in fighting Hitler’s Germany. The second instance also involved the revelation of truth and was used to justify its fight against the North Korean communists. This article should effectively demonstrate how the practice of perception management has been used historically by the United States government to expediate its political goals. The instrumentalization of Katyń is important as it may inspire the reader to consider why certain events take hold of the media’s attention versus others, and how these events specifically may relate to domestic and international political issues.

A Multiple Geospatial Approach for Intangible Cultural Heritage Tourism Potentiality Mapping in Iran

Intangible cultural heritage has recently emerged as an important sector of sustainable tourism development programs. In this regard, the main objective of this study was to map and examine the capability of different cities in Iran for intangible cultural heritage (ICH) tourism. For the methodological perspective, we employed an integrated geographical information system (GIS) and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) as efficient geospatial approaches for intangible tourism potentiality assessment. Regarding this goal, we concluded that Iranian pastoral nomads have a number of unique characteristics that are suitable to international tourists from a geographical, social, cultural, and artistic perspective. From the methodological framework, we employed an integrated geographical information system and multiple geospatial approaches for analyzing the ICH features and intangible tourism potentiality assessment. The methodological framework includes several major steps, including (a) the selection of the criteria and preparation of a GIS dataset, as well as standardization; (b) criteria weighting and sensitivity analysis; and finally, (c) criteria aggregation and production of the final ICH maps. The results of this study indicated that there is a very high capability of intangible and cultural tourism and heritage in different parts of the country, which are variable based on the local customs, traditions, events, and cultural characteristics. As the results indicated, the highest level of the ICH potentiality was found in Urmia, Khoy, Tabriz, Mashhad, Shiraz, Isfahan, Dezful, and Kashan. These cities are ranked based on the overall capability and contribution of the national intangible tourism potentiality assessment. The results of this study indicated that Iran has indeed remarkable ICH capabilities that can be used as the base of efficient sustainable development programs. However, due to international sanctions and political issues, developing a sustainable tourism program has already faced critical challenges. Based on the results, we concluded that the information obtained from this study leads local stakeholders, decision-makers, and authorities to identify the potentiality of each area and take into account developing tourism plans. In addition, the obtained information will also support readers, international travelers and tourism agencies to understand the potentiality of each area, as well as the suitability of different areas for intended travel objects, and to develop tourism programs and plans.

The Study of Sustainable Green Marketing: Commercial, Environmental and Social Benefits of Green Marketing and their Effects

Today, environmental issues are noticed everywhere in the world. The critical problems in the environment like global warming waste disposal, pollution and climate change, etc. Whereas many initiatives are taken by industries and government as well too aware people about that concern still it is a crucial issue on the earth. The international political issue most focused point is Sustainable development. The concept of green marketing plays an important role in today’s world for sustainable development. This paper is all about the concept of green marketing, sustainability, the evolution of green marketing, the role of green marketing in sustainable development, and the total number of companies engaging in adopting the policy of green marketing in India. In this paper, all the benefits of green marketing to society, the environment, and businesses are included. This study is based on conceptual data.

The transition to nuclear energy in Bangladesh: The interplay between climate-related urgency and geopolitical factors

One of the significant issues in contemporary international politics is to examine the contexts of energy usage of different countries, keeping in mind the looming climate threat. Energy transition not only highlights the central role of energy usage but also exposes the vulnerability caused by it. Given the context, Bangladesh has adopted nuclear technology to meet its economic demand and environmental requirements. As a middle-income country, eyeing to graduate to a developing nation by 2041, its choice of exploring nuclear energy has exposed the country to the question of the rationality of the decision. Nuclear energy has a distinguished history that accommodates several debates about its safety and sustainability. Though many developed countries are planning for a nuclear phase-out, Bangladesh’s decision merits attention and explanation to embrace such a stand. Often, the economic priorities have been attached to Bangladesh’s decision for the energy transition, while the discussion about nuclear energy in Bangladesh ignores the geopolitical purposes and international political agenda. This paper, therefore, aims to explore the internal and external climate-related urgency, and geopolitical concerns responsible for such a transition, which have remained unexplored in the existing literature.

The US-China Trade War: Hard Implications of a Soft War

The end of the Cold War reinforced the term globalisation, where states became more intertwined economically, tilted towards consolidation of their economic ties. However, great power politics kept in gaining buoyancy in the international relations; resultantly, the United States initiated and later amplified its trade with China. Hitherto, the latter became the second largest trade partner of the former. During the last couple of years, such ties between the two witnessed a turbulent trajectory. However, America under Trump administration, accused China of raping the US economy, being an unfair trade partner, and spattered of becoming a currency manipulator. To minimize and equalize the trade deficit that reached almost 345.6 billion USD in 2019, the Trump administration initiated a unique trade war between the two great economies; consequently, such policy decisions remained one of the hottest issues in international politics. The Trump Doctrine hinged upon America First; and the imposition of strict tariffs on numerous Chinese products, surprised the international commentators and economists. The article intends to probe the strategic context of the US-China Trade War and the implications of such on a global level. It also explores continuity of the same under the Biden administration. It tentatively provided a way forward for both great powers as well.

Role Theory in Practice: US–Turkey Relations in Their Worst Decade

Abstract Academic and policy debates on alliances are yet to incorporate insights from foreign policy analysis (FPA) literature. Generally, bilateral relations between allies are either analyzed with insights from traditional IR theories (such as realism) or with policy-oriented work that does not engage any scholarly literature (focusing on only the day-to-day issues of international politics). I argue that FPA theories that make linkages between scholarly work and policy-oriented questions in an evidence-based and analytical fashion are capable of accounting for the most significant policy questions of modern international politics. This article analyzes US–Turkey relations in, arguably, their worst decade, with a role theoretic outlook. I claim that despite being close political and military allies since the 1940s, US–Turkey bilateral relations are witnessing their worst decade since the Arab uprisings in the MENA, due mostly to ideational factors that shape foreign policy. The conflictual relations originate from a change in US and Turkish foreign policy-makers’ role conceptualizations vis-à-vis their countries’ roles in the MENA region after the Arab uprisings and the role conflict this has caused with one another. Misaligned interests during the Arab uprisings, especially after 2014 in the Syrian civil war, have exacerbated the bilateral ties further. Drawing insights from elite interviews conducted in Turkey (2014–2016), Washington DC, and Ankara (2018–2020), I explain the sources of conflict in US–Turkey relations with a role theory perspective and offer policy prescriptions in conclusion.

Strategic Partnership between India and the United States: Examining Driving and Restraining Forces

This article aims to analyze the historical trajectory and current state of relations between India and the United States, spanning from India's independence in 1947 to the present, with a focus on identifying key stages of development, outcomes, and prospects. The establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries has evolved through various phases, driven by economic, political, and ideological factors. However, certain limitations hinder the further deepening of this partnership, including disagreements on international political issues, India's pursuit of an independent foreign policy and reluctance to assume a subordinate role, inadequate US support on critical matters, and India's continued cooperation with Russia. Conversely, factors stimulating the growth of the strategic partnership encompass India's robust economic growth, its potential role as a counterbalance to China's expanding influence in Asia, shared interests in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, mutual concerns about regional security, recent progress in nuclear policy agreements, and expanding avenues for cooperation in diverse domains. The article further examines the unique characteristics of India's relationship with the United States, which shape the nature of their existing strategic partnership, such as the shifting focus from the political and strategic realm to economic interactions, India's commitment to maintaining "strategic autonomy" and non-alignment in its deepening cooperation, its ability to differentiate between political partnership and economic collaboration, and the preservation of a multi-vector foreign policy approach. Based on the analysis, the authors assert that while a strategic military and political alliance between the two powers is unlikely in the near future, their relationship will continue to evolve within the framework of a strategic partnership. The findings of this study will provide insights for policymakers in the South and Southeast Asia region to anticipate developments and adjust their policies accordingly.

Polish Press on the Armenian Genocide in 1991-2018

Key words: the Armenians, Turkey, Poland, Yeghern, massacre, newspaper, recognition, condemnation The article prօvides a comprehensive analysis of the coverage of the Armenian Genocide in the Polish press in 1990-2018. Polish newspapers with the highest rating and reputation were selected for the research. The study illustrates that the Polish press sympathizes with the just demand of the Armenian people, emphasizing the need to recognize and condemn the crime. In many articles, Polish authors draw parallels between the tragic pages in the history of Armenians and Poles, highlighting the need to condemn such crimes in order to avoid similar cases in the future. The framing of the Armenian Genocide has shifted over time in relation to the changing political and social context in Poland. If in the 1990s the moral imperative to recognize the genocide was mainly discussed, then in the 2000s calls for the civilized world to put pressure on Turkey and force it to face the criminal pages of its own history became noticeable. In many articles, the coverage became more critical because of Turkey’s policy of denial. Additionally, the issue of recognition of the Genocide by other countries is analyzed in the context of international political issues. Particularly active discussions are being held in the Polish press about the adoption of a resolution condemning the Armenian Genocide by the Sejm of Poland in 2005, then in 2015 in the lead-up to the centennial anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Some Notes on Sun Yatsen’s “Alliance with Russia” Policy

Alliances are one of the most effective ways for states to preserve and gain power. The study of alliance formation has long been a prominent issue in international politics. This article examines the factors that influenced the alliance between Sun Yatsen’s regime and the Soviet government through the lens of alliance theory, taking the “alliance with Russia” of the Guangdong government led by Sun Yatsen in the early 20th century as the subject of study. The scientific innovation lies in the analysis of historical events and their causes from the perspective of international relations. Due to the complexities of the Chinese situation, the southern regime under Sun Yatsen coexisted with the Beijing government, but was not recognized as the official government of China. As a result, Sun Yatsen needed to use an “alliance approach” to seek the backing of external forces in order to keep his own regime secure. After several failed attempts to enter into alliances with Britain, the United States and Germany, Sun Yatsen eventually elected to join forces with the Soviet Russia. According to the alliance’s conclusion, four major factors influenced Sun Yatsen’s “alliance with Russia” policy: balance of threat, diplomatic assistance, ideology, and political infiltration. Among them, balance of threat was the main motivation for Sun Yatsen’s alliance with Russia, and while ideology was not an important factor influencing the alliance, the ability to provide assistance to Sun Yatsen’s regime played an important role in the establishment of the alliance, considering the huge power gap between the two sides. The Soviet political penetration of Sun Yatsen’s regime helped the alliance’s establishment, but also led to its final dissolution.

ПРІОРИТЕТИ ЗОВНІШНЬОЇ ПОЛІТИКИ МЕКСИКИ НА ПОЧАТКУ ХХІ СТОЛІТТЯ: ОГЛЯД АДМІНІСТРАЦІЇ AMLOЛОПЕСА ОБРАДОРА

The article attempts to analyze the priorities of Mexico’s foreign policy at the beginning of the XXI century with an emphasis on reviewing the foreign policy strategy of the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). The methodological basis of the study is a comparative analysis of Mexico’s foreign policy priorities. Currently, Mexico is the leading state in Latin America, which tries to implement an autonomous foreign policy, being involved in all international affairs. In the XXI century Mexico moved away from the policy of isolationism in accordance with the Estrada doctrine and began to be guided by the Castañeda doctrine  to conduct an active foreign policy both at the regional and global levels of the international system. Therefore, the following goals of Mexico’s foreign policy strategy can be defined: support of regional autonomy and a balanced policy in the international arena, issues of social and economic development of the state, relations with the U.S. Despite the ambitious goals of Mexican foreign policy, the state has a number of internal problems that undoubtedly affect its positioning in the world. It is worth noting that the administration of the previous President Peña Nieta emphasized the positioning of Mexico as an active player in the international arena. In turn, the López Obrador administration, being populist, puts domestic politics as the primary goal of its activities  following the principle “the best foreign policy is a good domestic policy”. Therefore, Mexican priorities under the AMLO administration are the development of trade and economic cooperation with Central American states, relations with the United States (in particular, within the framework of the USMCA and the reduction of migration flows), as well as non-interference in global issues of international politics. It should be noted that such non-interference is quite controversial on the example of the Russian-Ukrainian war  neutrality in condemning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the existing pro-Russian position of the leading political elites.

“Гордый индус”: трансформация образа Риши Сунака в индийских медиа

This article deals with the issue of the transformation of the image of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the largest Indian media. In order to determine the dynamics of the development of key narratives associated with his name, the author used discursive-historical approach based on a corpus of 2855 headlines since January till December 2022 collected in ten English and three Hindi language media-sources. The articles were chronologically divided by month of the publication and then were split into two categories: a) before the election b) after the election. Moreover, the publications were assigned to seven thematic groups. The transformation of the narratives within these groups was analyzed with special emphasis on the context and frequency of word use. The analysis of intertextual connections made it possible to identify key international political issues related to the Prime Minister, which are of interest to the Indian public. The topic of Prime-Minister’s Indian origin, much spoken about in October, has changed significantly and was mostly illuminated during several active political struggles for the post of Prime Minister. If at the beginning of the year he was perceived as one in the list of politicians with Indian roots, then in October he was called the “pride of the nation” and “a gift to the Indians on Diwali”. Notably, amid the increased role in Britain’s political game this topic was followed by the topic of his religious affiliation – the phrase “hindu PM” has become widely used since July. The Hindi-language media, characteristically, paid more attention to this issue than the English-language media. Apparently, the appeal to the Indian origin could cause inflated expectations regarding the strengthening of relations between India and the UK, however, the expert community takes a reserved position on this issue and acts as a source of counter-discursive narratives. Finally, the analysis showed that issues of British domestic politics get a lot of attention from Indian public at large. In this particular case, they triggered vigorous political debates about minority rights issues.

ВНЕШНЕПОЛИТИЧЕСКАЯ ЭКСПЕРТИЗА: ИССЛЕДОВАТЕЛЬСКИЙ ПОТЕНЦИАЛ ТЕОРИИ СЕКЬЮРИТИЗАЦИИ

The article is a scientific review of the studies of securitization theory, aimed at identifying its possible application to the study of foreign policy expertise. The study characterizes the main actors of securitization of international political issues; highlights the key provisions of securitization theory, which can be used to study foreign policy expertise; offers the author's interpretation of O. Khvostunova's typology of political experts regarding securitization in the framework of expert geopolitical discourse. The findings show that the application of securitization theory can contribute to the development of the scientific notion of foreign policy expertise as a specific network of experts engaged in the geopolitical discourse of the state and influencing foreign policy through it. It happens by having an effect on the geopolitical view of the world of both the political elite and the masses. In the future, the study of securitization steps and securitizing speeches in general can contribute to a deeper understanding of how and on what basis perceptions of foreign policy of decision makers in the security field are formed, what channels are used for this purpose, what role foreign policy expertise and pseudo-expertise play in this process.

How Russia’s trade with China influences carbon dioxide emissions in Russian regions

The Sino-Russian partnership has become one of the hottest issues in contemporary international politics. Significantly, the highest potential is in the movement of both countries to Carbon Neutrality. China pursues the goal to reach its carbon peak by 2030, aiming to achieve net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. The Russian government is also involved in new programs concerning emissions reduction. The two countries plan to collaborate on a new level of responsibility and transregional interconnection. The paper aims to analyze the influence of Russia’s trade with China on carbon dioxide emissions in Russian regions. The authors present a review of carbon dioxide emissions between the two countries, explore the processes of trade in several categories of products and outline forward forecast tendencies. The paper uses complicated forecasting modeling in Python to assess the prospects of trade collaboration between Russia and China untill 2030. It makes forecasts of the volumes of carbon dioxide emissions and environmental trends till 2030. The research results show that the highest levels of emissions are observed in the industries “Mineral products”, “Chemical products” and “Animal husbandry and fishing products and services”, while “Wood works and furniture”, and “Agriculture products and services” produce considerably fewer emissions.