East Policy Research Articles

MIDDLE EAST POLICY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION: IN SEARCH OF THE EFFECTIVE STRATEG

The article examines the main directions of the Middle East policy of the European Union, which has intensified in recent years on the basis of the concept of «strategic autonomy». This concept itself is generated by the disappointment of European elites in the approaches of the United States both to the security problems of the Old World and to a number of crisis situations in the Middle East. The differences between Washington and Brussels were especially clear during the presidency of Republican Donald Trump (2016–2020), but they did not disappear under the administration of Democrat Joe Biden, which did not live up to the hopes of a number of European politicians for «restoring American leadership in the world». The need for Europeans to increasingly rely on their own strengths and resources is determined today not only by the situation around Ukraine, but also by Israel’s military actions against Hamas extremists in the Gaza Strip, direct clashes between Israel and Iran, and the intensification of pro-Iranian groups in a number of countries in the Middle East. The author believes that the EU’s attempts to develop an adequate strategy to neutralize threats from the Middle East region, as well as to promote its interests there, have not brought results. Questions remain regarding the achievability of this goal in principle.

Implications of India’s Act East Policy on the Food Systems and Cultural Heritage of the Konyak Nagas: A Case Study of Sustainable Subsistence and Capitalistic Rationalisation

This article examines the potential impact of India’s Act East Policy on the food systems of the Konyak Nagas, an indigenous community in Nagaland. The article studies how the traditional knowledge of the Konyak Nagas about the land, labour and ecology has influenced their food culture. The communal landholdings, shifting cultivation, natural preservation of food items, manual labour in agricultural lands and chemical-free fertilisation process have so far kept the Konyaks self-sufficient in terms of requirement of food, and kept the market forces at bay. Emphasising the significance of food security in the changing global scenario in the post-pandemic period and considering the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the article explores how Act East Policy’s capitalistic rationalisation of resources may significantly affect their sustainable means of subsistence and appropriate their farms and platters, which are an integral element of the cultural fabric of the community.

The foreign policy of the United States of America towards Iran in the period from 1953 to 1974.

The article examines the foreign policy of the United States of America in the Greater Middle East region, which acquired strategic importance after the end of World War II and the beginning of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. The subject of the study is the American-Iranian relations of 1953-1974, within the framework of which the Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi consistently built cooperation with D. Eisenhower, J. Kennedy, L. Johnson and R. Nikson. Despite the fact that their approaches to the implementation of American foreign policy in the Greater Middle East underwent significant changes, the desire to maintain influence in the country, consolidate control over cheap Iranian energy resources and prevent the return of Soviet influence on Iran remained the main directions of American activity. The methodological basis of the research is based on the principles of historicism, objectivity and consistency. The following methods were used in the work: historical-comparative, historical-typological and historical-systemic methods. The reviewed diplomatic documents of the United States of America "Foreign Relations of the United States" allow us to establish that the influence of the oil factor on American-Iranian relations in 1953-1974 remained high, despite changes in the approaches of the presidents to the implementation of foreign policy in the region. The return of Iranian oil to the global market allowed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to initiate the start of the "white revolution", supported by the United States, among others. Huge oil revenues allowed Iran in a short time not only to realize its claims in the region, but also to become an important ally of the United States, responsible for regional security during the presidency of R. Nixon. The work illustrates the changing role of the United States of America and Iran in the Greater Middle East, due, among other things, to the influence of the oil factor.

Empirical Exploration of Economic Policy in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region: An ARDL Approach

This article delves into the analysis of the effectiveness of economic policies implemented in 20 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The countries considered include Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian Authority, Bahrain, Djibouti, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen. The study is based on an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) regression model, employing the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method. This model is suitable for non-stationary time series and those with a mixed order of integration. The analysis covers the period from 2000 to 2023.The results obtained highlight the diversity of the impacts of economic policies, strongly influenced by the specific economic and social contexts of each country. Governments, in their pursuit of efficiency and sustainability, are often faced with the delicate balance between multiple objectives. Among the measures considered are the money supply, inflation rate, government spending, and structural reforms. These measures have demonstrated their effectiveness in stimulating economic growth, promoting economic activity, encouraging investment, and creating employment opportunities. Monetary and fiscal policies are also crucial levers aimed at maintaining macroeconomic stability. This is expressed notably through controlling inflation, managing budget deficits, and ensuring the stability of the financial system. The results of econometric tests converge towards unanimous conclusions, suggesting the existence of one-directional causal relationships between economic growth and specific indicators of economic policy. This in-depth understanding of regional economic dynamics provides valuable insights for tailoring economic policies to each national context within the MENA region.

China in the Middle East: strategic priorities and features

The relevance of the research is due to the growing importance of the Middle East region in the economic development In Russof China in the XXI century, and consequently, the spread of economic and political interests of the latter. The purpose of the study is to determine China’s strategic priorities and the main directions of its political presence aimed at balancing threats and opportunities in such a turbulent region as the Middle East. Given the instability of this region caused by the global anti-terrorist struggle of the United States, the specifics of Chinese policy in the Middle East and North Africa are of interest, since it is China’s interests that are being threatened. With the help of the analytical method, the factors influencing the Middle East policy of the PRC have been identified, which, of course, contributes to the transformation of the regional order. The study concludes that the future of the Chinese presence in the Middle East is determined by China’s global strategy, as well as its vision of its role and the future world order as a whole.

Tourism and Ethnic Food Industry of Manipur

Tourism is a multidimensional crucial development parameter of the world economy. The tourism and ethnic food industry of Manipur has a potential in gaining a major place in the South East Asian countries tourism industry. This paper attempts to study the tourism and ethnic food industry of Manipur keeping in mind the Look East Policy of the Indian Government. The data for this paper have been generated both from primary as well as secondary sources. The study finds that the prospect for tourism can be widen up with proper planning and connectivity. It also identifies the various problems and challenges that are to be overcome to buttress the regional connectivity.

Syria's turnover of Russian arms exports

Subject. This article discusses the issues of Russia's policy in the Middle East and support for the country's military-industrial complex. Objectives. The article aims to identify the factors influencing the consolidation of Russia's position in the world arms market. Methods. For the study, we used the methods of comparative, structural, and statistical analyses. Results. The article finds that the export of Russian-made weapons has increased since the start of the military operation in Syria. Of all the types of equipment, military aircraft are in the greatest demand abroad. Conclusions. Russia's participation in the civil war in Syria on the side of the central government has contributed to the consolidation of our country's position in the global arms market.

Reading history wrong: the plight of European foreign policy in the Middle East

Since the early 20th century, France and the United Kingdom (UK) and, after 1945, the United States (US), have been getting the Middle East wrong. In 2003, France’s President Chirac and Germany’s Chancellor Schröder refused to endorse what proved to be a catastrophic mistake: the US-led invasion of Iraq. Eight years later, President Sarkozy chose to abandon the wisdom of his predecessor and was a cheerleader for the toppling of the Libyan leader Gaddafi, which allowed Russia back into the Mediterranean area. Western leaders’ misreading of the Middle East has been compounded by the media, whose moral grandstanding has increasingly replaced serious reporting and debate. Middle Eastern countries today are defending their interests aggressively and refusing to play by the rules set in Paris, London or Washington. A new nationalism stalks the region, making diplomacy more transactional.

Act East Policy & Its Impact on North East India

In the realm of international relations, India's "Look East Policy" has emerged as a strategic linchpin, directing the nation's gaze towards East and Southeast Asia to cultivate deeper diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties. Evolving into the more assertive "Act East Policy," this geopolitical manoeuvre has profound implications for various regions across India, none more so than the historically marginalized but strategically crucial North East. This research paper undertakes a comprehensive exploration of the Look East Policy and its intricate impact on the socio-economic, cultural, and security dynamics of North East India. The paper embarks on its journey by tracing the policy's evolution, originating in the early 1990s and maturing into the Act East Policy, emblematic of its proactive and encompassing approach. By dissecting the policy's key objectives and the strategic imperatives guiding its implementation, the study aims to illuminate the underlying motivations that propel India's engagement with its eastern neighbours and the implications this has for the northeastern states.

Economic Considerations and Public Support for Environment Policy in East and Southeast Asia

AbstractThe “environment–economy trade-off” is a key question in research on public opinion on environmental policies. While evidence from Western economies suggests that individuals are more supportive of environmental initiatives when the macroeconomic situation is favorable, little is known about how environmental policy preferences are shaped by economic factors in East and Southeast Asian countries. Using a survey dataset consisting of 12 countries based on the fourth wave of the Asian Barometer Survey (ABS), we investigate how environmental policy preferences are associated with multiple aspects of economic consideration. In a pooled multilevel analysis, we find that personal economic conditions and perceptions are more consistently associated with greater support for environmental initiatives than objective and subjective national economic conditions. However, an analysis of the heterogeneous effect shows that the effect of individual economic situations is only partially identifiable among lower-middle or upper-income countries in our sample, signaling the complexity of qualifying the relationship between economic considerations and environmental attitudes in a cross-country context.

Syria in Us Middle East Policy (2000-2011)

This article examines one of the most pressing topics related to an important area of US regional policy. As is known, after the terrorist attack in the United States on September 11, 2001, Washington made radical changes to its Middle East policy. The fight against terrorism and countries supporting terrorists has become a priority of US policy. The article examines the role of Syria in US Middle East policy. Before the Arab Spring, Syria had a prominent role in the Arab-Israeli conflict. This meant that political leaders, including those from the US, had to consider Syria’s stance on Middle Eastern issues and the opinions of the Syrian Arab Republic's government on significant regional problems.

Red Capitalism and Neoliberal Authoritarianism

Abstract The rise of the brics block has contributed to the emergence of a “multiplex world”. This shift in power dynamics has revealed the crisis of the existing liberal international order, a relative decline in the U.S. power, and a gradual transition towards a post-American order. This article examines the dynamics of Sino-mena relations in a “multiplex world” where both the U.S. and the mena states have chosen “The Look East” policy. The U.S.-China geopolitical rivalry explains a shift in the U.S. foreign policy from the Middle East toward the Far East. The Middle East’s “Look East Policy”, however, is largely due to the needs for an alternative global partner. This article examines three pillars of the Sino-mena relations: the first pillar pertains to a broad category of energy, trade, investment, arms deal, security and geostrategic significance. The second pillar is centred around the Chinese policy of no military intervention and respecting the state sovereignty. The third pillar is pertinent to the “Chinese Model of Development” and what it means for the mena. It examines whether such relations might consolidate autocratic capitalism and neoliberalism without democracy and, or benefit mena civil societies’ quest for a grassroots and egalitarian development and democracy.

The Kurdish factor in Saudi Arabia's Middle Eastern policy: an analysis in the context of relations with Iraq and Iran

The subject of the study is the complex relationship between Saudi Arabia's Middle East policy and the Kurdish question. It includes an examination of Saudi Arabia's attitudes, strategies and actions towards Kurdish groups in the region, as well as the factors influencing its approach to this issue. The object of the study, is Saudi Arabia's Middle East policy, that is, it is an analysis of Saudi Arabia's foreign policy objectives, priorities and interests in the Middle East region, with a particular focus on how the Kurdish factor influences or intersects with this policy. This includes an examination of Saudi Arabia's diplomatic relations, security concerns and strategic calculations towards Iraq and Iran, as well as its broader regional ambitions. By analyzing the Kurdish factor, the authors offer an interdisciplinary understanding that bridges the fields of political science, international relations, Middle East studies and Kurdish studies. This interdisciplinary approach allows for a fuller understanding of the complexities surrounding the Kurdish question and its implications for regional dynamics. The article presents a historical analysis of Saudi Arabia's engagement with Kurdish groups in the region, shedding light on past policies, alliances and conflicts. By contextualizing current events within a historical framework, the article offers valuable insights into the evolution of Saudi Arabia's approach to the Kurdish factor. Moreover, the article is able to assess the political implications of Saudi Arabia's approach to the Kurdish factor on regional stability, security and diplomatic relations. By assessing the potential consequences of various policy decisions, the article provides valuable insights into effective strategies for managing the Kurdish issue within the broader framework of Middle East politics.

Analysis of Russia's policy in the Middle East in 2000-2023 in the works of foreign researchers.

The article is devoted to the scientific consideration of foreign researchers' views on the issues and prospects of military-political, trade-economic and socio-cultural relations of the Russian Federation with the countries of the Middle East during the presidency of V.V. Putin and D.A. Medvedev from 2000 to 2023. The paper aims to identify the main points of view of foreign researchers on the issues and prospects of military-political, trade, economic, social and cultural relations of the Russian Federation with the Middle East countries during the presidency of V.V. Putin and D.A. Medvedev in 2000-2023. The purpose of the work is to highlight the main points of view on Russia's Middle East policy and identify the key areas of interest among foreign researchers. The object of the study is to examine the geopolitical significance of the region and the ways in which this significance is reflected in the studies of foreign scholars. The subject is the views of foreign researchers on Russia's policy in the Middle East. The article analyzes the differences and similarities in the interpretations of the effectiveness and consequences of Russia's actions in the region. The study is based on the principles of objectivity, systematicity and consistency. The main conclusions of the paper are that foreign researchers have different attitudes towards Russia's policy in the Middle East. Some see this policy as a constructive approach to developing relations with all countries in the region, while others point to Russia's desire to strengthen its influence and interests in certain countries and, at the same time, Russia's attempt to upset the already fragile balance of power in the region, which is considered one of the most tense and unstable in the world.

The Second Wave of Look East Policy (Lep 2.0): Enhancing The Bilateral Relations Between Malaysia – Japan

Japan was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Malaya (then Malaysia). On 9 September 1957, nine days after Malaya achieved independence, Japan opened its embassy in Kuala Lumpur. The introduction of the Look East Policy (LEP) in 1982 strengthened the existing Malaysia-Japan bilateral relations. The main objective of this study is to examine the nature of the bilateral relationship between Malaysia and Japan during the implementation of the Look East Policy (LEP) and to identify the mutual benefits obtained by both countries in the implementation of LEP 2.0. This study adopted a qualitative analysis method by conducting intensive interviews and focus group discussion involving 13 informants who were directly involved with the implementation of LEP. The study found that, among other things, while LEP made the good practice of the Japanese people as the main driving factor, it also included the Japanese work culture, discipline, ethics, integrity, accountability, management and strategic partners. Three decades after the implementation of LEP in Malaysia, LEP took up a notch with the introduction of the Second Wave of LEP in 2012. Otherwise known as LEP 2.0, it prioritised new areas in line with technological developments in the millennial era. In line with that, LEP 2.0 also focused on the context of mutual benefit (common interest) for both countries especially in Halal hub industry and tourism.

Император умер! Да здравствует империя! (Наполеон и его наследие)

In 2023, the collective work «From the Napoleonic Empire to the Age of Empire», edited by Thomas Dodman and Aurélien Lignereux, was published. The recent bicentennial of Napoleon’s death has served as an opportunity for historians to turn to Bonaparte’s imperial legacy and the forms of domination that were established during his era and continued after 1814–1815. The editors argue that such an approach can allow us to move beyond the traditional framework of Napoleonic historiography and away from a purely factual approach. Moreover, the Napoleonic Empire is a key link between the colonial empires of the early modern period and the empires of the nineteenth century, and therefore deserves special attention. The collection consists of three parts: the first is devoted directly to the period of the Napoleonic Empire, in particular, to subjects related primarily to France’s policy in the Middle East; the second examines the individual trajectories of certain individuals or social groups in the context of imperial transformations; and the third examines French foreign policy initiatives in Algeria and Egypt in the post-Napoleonic era.

THE OPERATION DESERT STORM AND THE PATRIOT MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM [4] -THE PATRIOT’S INDIRECT SUCCESS

According to Raytheon, the manufacturer of the Patriot system. The Patriot’s success was certainly a political one. Saudi Arabia could not possibly be on the same side of Israel if Israel counter-attacks Iraq. Because of this political complication, the US provided Israel with the defensive weapon such as the Patriot system. Thus, regardless of the Patriot’s defense effectiveness, the US was able to limit Israel’s military action to directly counter-attack Iraq. In this way, the US could keep the allied forces together, sustaining the US policy in the middle east.

The Role of the Kurdish Diaspora in Shaping the European States' Policies in the Middle East. The Policy of the EU Countries with respect to the Kurdish Issue

The Role of the Kurdish Diaspora in Shaping the European States' Policies in the Middle East. The Policy of the EU Countries with respect to the Kurdish Issue

Manipur's Journey Towards the Health SDGS: What's Achieved and what more is Needed?

India and its constituent states are committed to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) as a part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 by strengthening primary healthcare (PHC). The National Health Mission (NHM) has been a landmark effort at health systems strengthening, aiming to reboot both the architecture and service delivery. Manipur ranks fourth out of the eight states in the North East Region in the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog's ranking for SDGs. The available evidence, drawing upon secondary datasets and available primary data, aims to unpack the progress made in health systems strengthening to interpret the journey toward achieving UHCs and SDGs. The progress made and the gaps in terms of human resources, infrastructure, service utilization, and reduction of out-of-pocket expenditure are interpreted in terms of critical social determinants such as geographic and ethnic divides. Newer policies, such as the Act East Policy and medical tourism, are examined in the context of current disparities and the potential to accelerate the journey towards achieving SDGs.

From look east to act east policy: India’s regional cooperation with ASEAN

From look east to act east policy: India’s regional cooperation with ASEAN