Joint Declaration Research Articles

ОБҐРУНТУВАННЯ ПЕРЕВАГ ТА НЕДОЛІКІВ ОПОДАТКУВАННЯ СІМЕЙНИХ ДОХОДІВ

The essence and content of family income taxation are considered. Elements of family taxation are singled out. Family tax models are analyzed and their advantages and disadvantages are identified. Methods of taxation of spouses in foreign countries are considered: joint incomes and separate incomes. Approaches to the establishment of elements of family taxation in different countries of the world are studied. Based on the analysis of family taxation, the main characteristics of the family taxation system in foreign countries are substantiated. It is proved that the most appropriate model of family taxation in Ukraine will be the French model, which provides for the use of family coefficients depending on the number of children. The main advantages and risks of implementing a family taxation system are analyzed. The main advantages of the family taxation system are: different approach to the subject of taxation: different categories or classes of taxpayers; the presence of a tax-free minimum for family income allows to implement the principle of social justice of taxation; the ability to choose a joint or separate declaration of income allows taxpayers to choose the best option for taxation; opportunity for each family member to enjoy tax benefits; application of coefficients to the income of family members; revision of the non-taxable minimum income of citizens in connection with inflation; real implementation of the principle of social justice through family taxation. The disadvantages of family taxation are: difficulties in controlling the real income of individuals; possible problems in tax administration by regulatory authorities, as different classes of taxpayers will be introduced and a non-taxable minimum and scale of tax rates will be established; budget losses in case of transfer of persons to the family taxation system; the need to substantiate the amount of the non-taxable minimum income of citizens and the rates of personal income tax on family income. It is determined that the family taxation system should ensure parity of interests of the state (regarding the filling of the budget) and taxpayers (regarding the application of tax benefits in the taxation of family income).

The World Wide Web of orthodontics- A comprehensive narrative on teledentistry pertaining to the orthodontics of the 21st century.

Teledentistry has proven effective in practically all dental fields. It also allows access to inaccessible and underdeveloped locations. Better treatment outcomes were documented in patients treated by an orthodontist supervised by teledentistry than by a general dentist with minimal orthodontic experience alone. It may also help to focus referrals to specialists and weed out those who do not need them. But, on a critical note, a doctor-patient relationship is much more than a business transaction. A face-to-face initial consultation instills trust that a remote session cannot. Teledentistry includes professional networking of doctors. This contact includes digital information exchange, CPD programs, case discussions, and analysis that bring dentists from all around the world together to improve patient care. Teledentistry has not only spanned the distance between dentists worldwide, but has also served as a conduit between customer (patient) and manufacturer. This spawned Direct to Consumer (DTC) dentistry, sparking substantial debate among dentists worldwide. In DTC dentistry, inadequately trained customers conduct complex procedures on themselves with minimal guidance of a dentist. One of the major issues today is the general availability of clear aligners to patients without the requirement for an intermediary skilled orthodontist. The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) has publicly questioned the validity of Smile Direct Club, a private firm that dominates the DTC industry. European Federation of Orthodontic Specialists Association, on the other hand, has sponsored a joint declaration with the representative orthodontic associations in Europe to highlight and alert patients about the potential risks of DTC products. Unfortunately, public shaming hasn't slowed commercialization of DTC firms. Teledentistry has been a boon for healthcare, but a nightmare for our profession, raising fundamental questions like what is the difference between a customer and a patient? Is dentistry a just another discipline of cosmetics? Is teledentistry making us less connected with our patients?

The Return of the Benin Bronzes from Germany on the Significance of the Joint Declaration between Germany and Nigeria in Light of European Restitution Practice

The Return of the Benin Bronzes from Germany on the Significance of the Joint Declaration between Germany and Nigeria in Light of European Restitution Practice

Textualizing YouTube: Cultivating Bonds of Community via an Online Collaborative Platform in Hong Kong

Textualizing YouTube:Cultivating Bonds of Community via an Online Collaborative Platform in Hong Kong Ka Lee Wong (bio) Introduction Swallow Life (燕子生命) is an online collaborative platform in Hong Kong that aims to cultivate bonds of community and provide entertainment to political prisoners who participated in the pro-democracy protests. In 2019 and 2020, the largest waves of protests in Hong Kong responded to increasing forms of authoritarian control exercised by mainland China in the city. More than 10,000 protesters were arrested and around 3,000 individuals were prosecuted for offenses related to the protest. In view of this, an anonymous group of local Hong Kongers established an online platform, Swallow Life, to consolidate resources to help improve the lives of the imprisoned protesters. On their website, Swallow Life hosts a wide range of guidelines and suggestions about detention, bail, trial, sentence, and inmate visitation, so that protesters and their families can prepare for and plan their responses to the initial arrest and detention. The platform is unique in the sense that it attempts to create a network of community for the detainees through various forms of online collaboration. Besides arranging pen pals for prisoners, it also initiates a special service called "YouTube Streaming Box" (YouTube 機頂盒) to simulate an online experience for inmates who have no access to the internet in prison. To enable detainees to "watch" YouTube videos in prison, Swallow Life invites volunteers to help convert YouTube videos to a format accepted by the local detention facilities. Every week, volunteers upload transcripts of YouTube videos on the platform so that either volunteers on the platform, inmates' pen pals, or families can download and then send the printouts to prison. This [End Page 25] textualization of YouTube videos stretches our understanding of what is meant by media shareability: the circulation of online videos in prison is not made possible by an effortless click of a share button, but is enabled by the labor involved in connecting volunteers and converting videos to a format approved by local prisons. In this essay, I reflect on how this labor-intensive process to textualize and distribute YouTube videos prompts us to rethink what media shareability means. I contend that Swallow Life's practice of sharing YouTube videos is not a form of clicktivism where netizens perform their support to a political cause with an effortless click of a share button. Instead, the platform demonstrates the power of bottom-up participatory culture by fostering an intimate community offline, where volunteers can bond with the arrested protesters, sharing not just their popular media but also emotional support. Context: The Largest Scale Protests in Hong Kong's History The waves of protests in Hong Kong were triggered by the local government's proposal in March 2019 to amend the extradition law. When the amendment is stipulated, anyone who commits crimes in Hong Kong or other places that have extradition treaties with the city will possibly be sent back to mainland China for trial. This is very concerning for the local people, because it will mean the end of the independent status of Hong Kong's judicial system. An independent judicial system, along with other civil rights including the right to assembly, publish, and demonstrate, ought to be sustained in the city until 2046, according to the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The latter was signed by the United Kingdom and China in 1984 and determined the future of the then-British colony Hong Kong, which was then handed over from the UK to China in 1997. The proposed extradition law triggered much anxiety in Hong Kong. Many believed that the law signified a more direct control by China in the city; thus, they would not be able to enjoy as high a level of autonomy as before. The two large-scale Sunday marches on June 9 and June 16, 2019, which were attended by 1.3 and 2 million people respectively, were the beginning of a series of protests in the city where 7 million people reside. The Hong Kong government did not take heed of these oppositions; instead, they decided to proceed with passing the law, while stepping up to suppress the protests with the police...

Counter Narrative on Extremism and Terrorism in Islamic Perspective and Role of Muslim Thinkers in Establishment of Peace: Analytic Study of Pakistan’s Efforts to combat violent Extremism

Islam is the true religion of peace, reconciliation, and harmony, which primarily deals with the sanctity of human beings without discrimination of religion, creed, and ethnic group. The subject of Divine Commandments is humanity which can be derived from the address of Allah almighty in the Holy Quran "O people' 'The Holy Prophet Muhammad SAWW said, "The best among people who is the source of benefit for the whole humanity". Pakistan has been facing the challenge of extremists and terrorism since 9/11 and has sacrificed thousands of lives in the war on terror. Despite greater securitization, surveillance, examining, and numerous counterterrorism measures, the problem appears to worsen rather than improve. While there may be success stories of terror plans being stopped and radicals being funneled into De-radicalization programs, the tragic reality is that innumerable young people continue to be exposed to extremist propaganda, mainly through social media. In this paper, I have elaborated Islamic perspective on counterterrorism with the help of divine commandments and a rational approach that Universalism and moderation are what Islam stands for. It is a religion of peace, protection, and human rights; there is no room for oppression and injustice in Islam. In the second phase of a research paper, I have analyzed the academic contributions of Muslim Thinkers to encounter extremism and terrorism. I have also highlighted the narrative of the Paigham-I-Pakistan joint declaration of scholars of various schools of thought to create harmony and peace in the country.

THE MAIN TRENDS OF VIETNAM - JAPAN COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF BILATERAL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

The article examines the process of formation and development of the comprehensive political and trade and economic cooperation between Japan and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam since 1973, when diplomatic relations were established between the two countries, and then received a new impetus after Vietnam started the market reforms in 1986 and commenced the renewal policy (in Vietnamese – “Đổi Mới”). In 2009, Japan and Vietnam decided to raise the bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership for the common interests of both countries. In 2010, as part of the official visit of the Prime Minister of Japan to Vietnam, a Joint Declaration on strategic cooperation for peace and prosperity in Asia was adopted.The article focuses on cooperation between the two countries in the framework of international and regional organizations, in particular in the framework of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, as well as in the framework of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, in which Japan and ASEAN member states participate. In recent decades Japan has been one of Vietnam’s main foreign economic partners and the second largest investor into Vietnamese economy. At the same time, Japan is the largest sponsor of Vietnam through the Official development assistance program (ODA), actively assisting Vietnam in implementing its national strategy of industrialization and modernization under the framework agreement on cooperation between Vietnam and Japan until 2020 with the prospect of 2030. Besides, the article discusses and analyzes the largest joint projects implemented in Vietnam with the technical and financial assistance from Japan.

Skema Visa British National Overseas dan Diplomasi Migrasi Inggris dengan Tiongkok

ABSTRACT In June 2020 Chinese Government officially enacted the National Security Act in Hong Kong. The UK saw the act as a serious breach of the 1997 Sino-British Joint Declaration. In response, the UK issued a new visa scheme for British National (Overseas) holders. The new scheme provides Hong Kong residents holding BNO status with a residence permit of up to 5 years and permission to apply for British citizenship. This research will describe how the UK uses migration policy in correlation to diplomacy through this phenomenon. The concept to be used is migration diplomacy by looking at aspects of the definition, categories, and objectives of the new BNO visa scheme. As a result, this research finds that the UK uses migration policy as a tool of diplomacy with China by positioning itself as a receiving country. The implementation of migration diplomacy by the UK in the BNO visa scheme aims for economic gain, related to bilateral relations with China, and promoting Global Britain.

Ukraine as a Country of Focus for the Government of Canada in the Context of Russia’s Aggression

The central thesis of this paper is that Canadian-Ukrainian relations have fostered certain peculiarities due to the fact that in Canada (the Land of Maple Leaf), a hefty percentage of citizens are of the Ukrainian origin. Social mobility of the Canadian Ukrainians is traditionally forcing top-level authorities to have their focus resolve around the Ukrainians’ needs and expectations. Noteworthy, since the World War II, Canada has been a pivotal role in constant efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s democracy. While ardently supporting Ukraine’s will for gaining its independence, after dissolution of the Soviet Union, Canada’s government acted in compliance with the international law. Particularly, the Soviet Union’s collapse put Ukraine on the map of the international political landscape and made it known to become independent from the Russian Federation. It should be articulated, Poland was first country to recognize the independence of Ukraine on December 2, 1991. Canada was the second world state to have acknowledged Ukraine to be a sovereign state. In the 30-year-long-run Ukraine gained worldwide recognition. Undoubtedly, Ukraine- Canada relationship has laid its crucial fundamentals for the global acknowledgment. The author of the article estimates that both countries have signed more than 50 documents, which are handling their relationship. According to the author, sovereign Ukraine is an especially important factor for European security, which is facilitated by the present-day Canada-Ukraine relations. The author of the article emphasizes on Canada-Ukraine relations to be recognized as a unique and genuine partnership. To be more precise, the scholar discloses the significant value of the Joint Declaration on Special Partnership signed in 1994, which was extended twice - in 2001 and 2008. Remarkably, the paper analyzes Canadian-Ukrainian relations from the beginning till 2018. It highlights two stages f the relations establishment - before 2014 and after the Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Furthermore, the author stresses on his personal contribution in the scientific research on Canada’s policy in terms of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine over the years. Provisions of the article are proved by the relevant Canadian-Ukrainian documents. In addition to the mentioned Declaration, there is an Agreement on Friendship and Cooperation between Ukraine and Canada, dated 1994. Document reaffirmed both sides’ commitment to the democratic values and the principles of market economy. It also defined development in the political, security, economic, social and cultural areas of Ukraine-Canada relations. Since the article is devoted to bilateral relations between the two countries in extremely difficult time for Ukraine, related to Russian aggression, article says a lot about the aggression itself, about the support for Ukraine to overcome it, about the reaction of the world society. To confirm it, author involved a bilateral document Defence Cooperation Arrangement, dated April 3, 2017. The body of the article goes on to emphasize Canada’s bolstering democratic and market reforms in Ukraine. However, the author draws attention that the current trade and mutual investments capacity leaves much to be desired. Nevertheless, the Canada government and the pro-Ukrainian Canadians provided significant support to Ukraine during the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity. Authorities in Ottawa denounced Russia’s aggression against Ukraine by joining the sanctions imposing policy of the Western countries. Ottawa has clearly spoken out against Russia’s annexation of Crimea and destabilization in Donbas and supported sale of the lethal weapons to Ukraine. First of all, Canada supports Ukraine through diplomatic policy, as well as in Ukraine’s efforts in implementing economic reforms and strengthening the state security system.

Reformasi dan keesaan gereja: Makna peristiwa 31 Oktober bagi Gereja Protestan dan Katolik masa kini

It has been well known that sixteenth century reformation of the church begun on Otober 31th 1517 when Martin Luther puted 95 theses at the gate of Wittenburg church. That is the beginning of reformation but also starting point of church separation and split. While on October 31th 1999 the Lutheran representative and the Catholic leader signed what is called Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in which the Protestant and the Catholics show their common understanding on doctrine of justification. This event could be seen as an indication that unity among two churches is a possibility. So the first October 31th refers to reformation and separation but the second October 31th refers to unity. This article want to analize the meaning of these two events for the Protestants and Catholics in nowadays. Both churches can learn much from these important events for their present and future relationship. By analizing the meaning of the valuable historical event we can say that the way to come close to each other and to become one church in the future is open.

ЎЗБЕКИСТОН-ХИТОЙ ҲАМКОРЛИГИ ВА УНИНГ ИСТИҚБОЛЛАРИ

The article highlights the issues of Uzbek-Chinese cooperation in the years of independence and its prospects. In particular, the measures taken between the two countries in the field of trade, economic and investment, security, cultural, humanitarian, energy, transport and scientific and technical cooperation. The two countries agreed onpromising tasks, the legal basis of which is the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership, signed in 2005, and the Joint Declaration on the Comprehensive Deepening and Development of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership in 2010. Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership, Joint Declaration on Further Deepening and Development of Bilateral Strategic Partnership in 2013, Strategic Partnership Development Program for 2014-2018 and Joint Statement signed in 2016

The UN climate conference in Glasgow

The United Nations held its annual climate-change conference in early November 2021. The event served as a forum for countries to revisit the climate pledges they made under the 2015 Paris agreement and to offer revised plans for meeting these commitments in the decades ahead. Several large carbon-emitters – including Australia, Brazil, China, Indonesia, Mexico and Russia – revealed plans that were not significantly more ambitious than those made in 2015. However, new agreements were reached at the conference relating to methane and coal, and the United States and China agreed to a joint declaration describing steps they will take in the coming years to work together on climate change. In summary, a significant gap remains between pledged emissions reductions and those needed to keep average, long-term warming below the target described in the Paris agreement.

Denominating “Justification” and “Faith”: Catholics, Lutherans, and a North American Baptist's Response to the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification

That the Lutheran World Federation and the Pontifical Council for Unity attempted a joint declaration on the doctrine of justification is worthy of commendation. The resulting Joint Declaration constitutes some of the best contemporary efforts at ecumenical dialogue in the spirit of Christian union. This essay outlines the development of both medieval Catholic and subsequent Protestant conceptions of justification that led to disunion in the Western Church, reviews the initial points of division on the doctrine during the era of the Reformation for the purpose of grasping more fully the ecumenical feat of the JDDJ, and seeks to clarify what issues appear to remain unclear or unresolved in the document. The article also outlines the history of how Baptists in America have understood the doctrine of justification in order to consider how such Baptists might perceive the promise and potential lingering challenges or questions regarding the joint declaration.

Baptists, Scripture, and the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification

The approach taken in this paper is based on two key considerations: (1) the emphasis that the Baptist theological tradition places on the role played by Scripture and its interpretation in the formulation, judgment, and renewal of our confessional statements; and (2) the testimony of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification ( JDDJ) that the common understanding it articulates is grounded in a “common way of listening to the word of God in Scripture” ( JDDJ §8) and was derived, at least in part, by “appropriating insights of recent biblical studies” ( JDDJ §13). Its primary content is a brief summary of relevant discussions on justification and related themes in recent New Testament scholarship, some reflections on those discussions, and some suggestions for how those understandings might inform a collective Baptist response to the Joint Declaration. It concludes that the JDDJ should be taken by Baptists as a sign of hope and an encouragement to further conversation, including a distinctively Baptist explication of the common understanding stated in JDDJ §§15–17.

The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification: An Outline of its Genesis and Impact From a Baptist’s Perspective

This essay outlines the genesis and impact of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification ( JDDJ) from a Baptist perspective. Starting with comparative studies of individual theologians from 1949 to 1980 it sketches the prehistory of the JDDJ including the results of ecumenical dialogues from 1972 to 1994. The essay then presents the origins and contents of the JDDJ from the draft version (1997) to the signing (1999), including the development and content of the “Official Common Statement.” The author includes as well the impact of JDDJ on the study on “The Biblical Foundations of the Doctrine of Justification” (2012); the Notre Dame Consultation (2019); and ecumenical dialogues on justification with Baptist participation. The author appreciates the JDDJ as the most significant result of ecumenical dialogues since the formation of the ecumenical movement and expresses his hope that the Baptist World Alliance too will assent to the consensus.

Дискусії стосовно національного питання політичного устрою та координації антисамодержавних сил у Російській імперії на Паризькій конференції революційних та опозиційних партій (30 вересня – 9 жовтня 1904 р.)

The study covers the consideration of the national question in the Russian Empire at the Paris Conference of Russian Opposition and Revolutionary Parties, to analyze the published minutes of work and the final declaration. In the context of considering inter-ethnic relations in the Russian Empire, it is especially important to trace the views of the conference participants on the socialist-revolutionary projects of a possible reorganization of the Romanov’s despotism into a federal state, with broad autonomy of national territorial units and universal voting rite for all citizens. The research methodology is based on the principles of concrete-historical approach or historicism, objectivity, comprehensiveness and integrity, systematics, as well as the use of methods – analysis and synthesis, historical-comparative, historical-typological, and problem-chronological. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that for the first time in the historiography of the Socialist Party of Revolutionaries the national question was covered in detail at an interparty conference in Paris and the main contradictions in views on Russia’s post-revolutionary system between national socialist parties and SRs were analyzed. Conclusions. The Paris Conference served as the first platform for inter-party discussions between Russian liberals and socialists, but differences in their programs on the national question prevented them from developing concrete tactics and agreeing on joint steps to overthrow the autocracy. It resulted only in general political agreements on the establishment of a free democratic regime in Russia on the basis of free voting and the right of nations to self-determination, expressed in a joint declaration.

The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification and Social Ethics

The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ) developed out of understanding of the doctrine of justification and how that doctrine relates to social ethics. The article briefly describes how the doctrine of justification and sanctification developed in various traditions and how it came to be seen in the liberal theological context of the late 19th century before a corrective in the middle of the 20th century. I examine the way in which the doctrine has been criticised by oppressed persons and how we might respond to those criticisms. Finally, a way forward is suggested that might help us to apply the significant gains of the JDDJ to the whole sphere of social ethics for us here in South Africa.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This paper seeks to integrate the work done by the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification and Systematic Theology from an historical perspective via a literature survey so as to evaluate the JDDJ’s impact on social ethics.

An American Notwithstanding Clause? Between Potestas and Potentia

Debates about judicial review and departmentalism have continued to rage, and in the wake of the last three Supreme Court appointments and current Presidential Commission on the Court, only look to intensify. Should the US adopt a notwithstanding or override provision, of the kind that exits in Canada and Israel? These countries take a departmentalist approach to allow the legislature to override the Court, “notwithstanding” its ruling. Although America is a presidential framework, a paradox emerges: evidence exists that its system already makes possible the equivalent of a notwithstanding clause. This consists of Congress and the President together “overruling” the Supreme Court. In another sense, however, this is not an accepted practice—large parts of the legal community hold that the US Constitution establishes judicial supremacy. To better understand this dynamic, we consider two kinds of power: formal and authorized (potestas) as well as direct and concrete (potentia). The contrast between the positions on both power and sovereignty of Thomas Hobbes (associated with potestas) and Baruch Spinoza (linked to potentia) helps clarify these issues in a contemporary context. It turns out that a robust departmentalist equivalent of the notwithstanding clause already exists in the US, as a matter of Hobbesian potestas but not of Spinozist potentia. Another term for the latter is pouvoir constituant. Spinoza’s perspective on political activity further clarifies the in-between nature of the American override capacity: the active or passive character of a multitude is not binary, but is a matter of degree. Without making an institutional recommendation, we note that Spinoza’s understanding of power also allows for dynamic interaction between potentia and potestas: formal authorization can contribute to the expression of direct power. It is, therefore, conceivable that additional codification of the existing American override capacity, either through a joint declaration of Congress and the Presidency or a Constitutional Amendment, can strengthen the effective sovereignty of the American people in relation to the courts.

Protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding practices and the introduction of complementary foods

Breastfeeding is the gold standard of optimal nutrition and largely determines the health of the child not only at an early age, but also in subsequent periods of his life. Due to the optimal composition of breast milk, the child forms such features of lipid, carbohydrate, mineral and energy metabolism, which provide not only the best conditions for physical and intellectual development of the child, but also its social adaptation. Prolonged breastfeeding reduces the subsequent risk of developing socially significant diseases such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Since the 1970s, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) have been active in reviving the culture of breastfeeding. In 1989, they developed a joint declaration Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding Practices: the Special Role of Obstetric Services, which is based on Ten Principles of Successful Breastfeeding (training of medical personnel, antenatal preparation of pregnant women for breastfeeding, early breastfeeding in the delivery room, keeping mother and baby together and feeding a healthy baby on demand, helping mothers in difficult situations, exclusive breastfeeding, informing mothers about the dangers of pacifiers in initiating breastfeeding, follow-up assistance to mothers after discharge from the maternity hospital). The duration of exclusive breastfeeding (feeding only breast milk) is important for the health of the infant. According to the 2003 WHO recommendations, which are reflected in the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, exclusive breastfeeding should last 6 months. The national program for optimizing the feeding of children of the first year of life in the Russian Federation (2009, 2019) defines recommended periods of exclusive breastfeeding in the range of 4-6 months, and they depend on the health status of the infant. Modern industrially produced complementary foods are created taking into account the principles of healthy eating and contribute to the formation of proper nutritional behavior in children from an early age, which undoubtedly has a favorable effect on the child’s health in the future.

Abraham Accords: Palestine issue should be addressed for a peaceful Middle East

Decades of tensions in the Middle East have left many regional countries in tatters. The Abraham Accords – a joint declaration of the United States, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates, was signed alongside a peace agreement, although there has never been a state of war or conflict between Israel and the UAE. To achieve full peace and stability in the region, the resolution of the Palestine-Israeli conflict is vital. The United States and Israel have a long history of cooperation in the maintenance of the security of Israel that ensures the protection of US interests to the detriment of other regional powers that may have the potential to become influential in the region, and that ignore Western interests. Geopolitical changes in the Middle East over the last decade have altered the threat perspective of the Arab monarchies. Support for the creation of an independent Palestine has diminished as the issue has started to be seen as a distraction from the real and immediate threats from emerging regional powers. Although the Gulf nations may wish to present themselves as the Arab protector of Palestine, they clarify that “every tub must stand on its own bottom.” The US support of a peaceful environment was a result of the Chinese presence in the region, which the former perceived as a threat to its hegemony. However, long-term peace cannot be achieved without taking into account the Palestinian issue, as the primary conflict. In the same vein, countries such as Iran and Turkey did not welcome the normalization situation between Israel and the Arab states due to the ignorance of the Palestinians’ interests. There are weaknesses of the Accords perhaps due to its impatient timing, and its contradiction with the international community, such as the UN, and its disregard of the two-state solution.

Main Vectors of International Activity of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

During the 1950s and 1980s, the Eastern Catholic Church (sharing the Byzantine tradition) was maintained in countries with a Ukrainian migrant diaspora. In the 1960s, this branched and organized church was formed in the Ukrainian diaspora. It was named the Ukrainian Catholic Church (UCC). The Galician Metropolitan Department was headed by Andriy Sheptytskyi until 1944, and after that Sheptytskyi was preceded by Yosyp Slipiy, who headed it until 1984. In addition to the Major Archbishop and Metropolitan Yosyp, this church included two dioceses (in the United States and Canada), a total of 18 bishops. It had about 1 million believers and 900 priests. The largest groups of followers of the union lived in France, Yugoslavia, Great Britain, Brazil, Argentina, and Australia. Today, the number of Greek Catholics in the world is more than 7 million.
 The international cooperation of denominations in the field of resolving historical traumas of the past seems to be quite productive. An illustrative example was shared on June 28, 2013. Preliminary commemorations of the victims of the 70th anniversary of the Volyn massacres, representatives of the UGCC and the Roman Catholic Church of Poland signed a joint declaration. The documents condemned the violence and called on Poles and Ukrainians to apologize and spread information about the violence. This is certainly a significant step towards reconciliation between the nations.
 The most obvious fact is that the churches of the Kyiv tradition—ОCU and UGCC, as well as Protestant churches (All-Ukrainian Union of Evangelical Churches—Pentecostals, Ukrainian Lutheran Church, German People’s Church)—are in favor of deepening the relations between Ukraine and the European Union. A transformation of Ukrainian community to a united Europe, namely in the European Union, which, in their view, is a guarantee of strengthening state sovereignty and ensuring the democratic development of countries and Ukrainian society.