International Affairs No. 1, 2022 – Table of Contents

Keywords: Taiwan, US, China, Xi Jinping, checks and balances, Anti-Secession Law of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)

A POTENTIAL military conflict between China and the US over Taiwan as a result of either its forced “unification” or its unilateral declaration of independence remains a focus of observers and analysts all over the globe. Throughout 2021, news feeds contained alarming reports about the growing activity of the Chinese Air Force in Taiwan’s air defense zone and military exercises simulating the prevention of the capture of an unnamed island during US military maneuvers. Both capitals are exchanging harsh warning statements. …

Keywords: integration, Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), economy, industrial cooperation, Greater Eurasian Partnership (GEP), international organization, international law

Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the Eurasian Economic Commission …

Keywords: Amazon, Amazon basin, Amazon Pact, ACTO, international cooperation, sustainable development, challenges

TOPICS related to the Amazon Basin, which covers half of South America, figure prominently in international discussions about climate change, the depletion of natural resources, and environmental degradation due to anthropogenic impact. …

Keywords: politics of memory, historical memory, Russian-Japanese relations, Russia, Japan, the Northern Territories, territorial disagreements, Kuril Islands, oblivion

IN THE 21st century, the politics of memory is becoming even more relevant as a tool of international relations. This is amply confirmed by Japan, where the past traditionally serves as a tool for legitimizing the political and social order and largely shapes foreign policy principles. But this past contains many dark chapters that stir up conflicts with its neighbors. Many of them are rooted in the distant past, when Japan aggressively spread its influence in Asia. Japanese expansion caused thousands of deaths. …

Keywords: Indo-Pacific region, IPR, constructivism, India, Russia, China, geopolitics, critical theory

GEOPOLITICAL constructs are a relatively new phenomenon in global political practice, and even today they are often created spontaneously. One of the most complex, contradictory, and ambiguous geopolitical constructs is the Indo-Pacific Region (IPR), or the Indo-Pacific, as it is known for short. It entered global political discourse in 2007, with the publication of an article by Gurpreet Khurana on sea lanes of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. According to some experts, the term “Indo-Pacific” has recently become a buzzword widely used by politicians and political analysts to show that they keep abreast of current trends, but it also helps perpetuate the Indo-Pacific idea. …

Keywords: Latin America, Russia, foreign policy, strategic partnership, United States, China, Venezuela, COVID-19

IN RECENT YEARS, diplomatic efforts by Moscow have created a solid framework for relations between Russia and Latin America. It is especially significant that both sides share essentially the same values and cooperation principles and have political strategies based on the defense of national sovereignty; compliance with international law, including the principle of noninterference in internal affairs; adherence to multilateral diplomacy; a balance of interests in international relations; and the determination to strengthen international security and stability [19]. Latin American states, despite the various priorities of their political regimes, follow the pragmatic tactics of supporting a polycentric world order and multilateral cooperation based on principles enshrined in the UN Charter and in other international documents. …

Keywords: international information security, threats in the information space, OEWG, ASEAN, Asia-Pacific, Indo-Pacific, Quad, AUKUS

THE HISTORY of international relations has seen many examples of nations that, on the verge of tectonic geopolitical shifts, followed a “bloc mentality” and sought to create alliances against third countries. Moscow, however, in accordance with its centuries-old traditions of diplomacy, has always acted contrary to such trends and preferred alliances aimed at development and ensuring peace and stability, refraining from interfering in the affairs of other sovereign countries or undermining their national foundations. In making that choice, Russia was guided not only and not so much by the nobility of its intentions, but primarily by the principles of realpolitik – namely, practical considerations of uniting as many countries as possible to effectively tackle common challenges and threats. …

Keywords: Salafism, fundamentalism, Islam, Muslims

RECENTLY, the Islamic world has seen the growth of fundamentalism – an extreme form of Islamism that rejects democracy as such and uproots it wherever it sprouts. Some Salafist organizations are limited and local, some rely on outside support, while others are broad in scope and span the entire Muslim world. Analysis of the activities of Islamist organizations is complicated by the fact that unrelated groups often operate within their framework. Salafis number about 50 million worldwide and are active in 80 countries. However, it should be noted that Salafi jihadists number no more than 10 million, which is just 1% of the world’s Muslims.¹ …

Keywords: European Union, maritime policy, sustainable development, Blue Economy, Green Deal, international ocean governance, digitalization

THE EUROPEAN UNION is actively involved in developing the world ocean. Today, it positions itself not only as a consumer of “ocean resources,” but also as a leader of sustainable development and a “global actor” playing an independent role in shaping the system of international ocean governance [1]. The EU’s strategic maritime interests are multidimensional and primarily associated with ensuring its security [2:1, 2]. Its maritime interests lie at the junction of overlapping areas of activity, including political, economic, functional, sectoral, spatial, and administrative. Therefore, the implementation of its Maritime Policy is of particular importance to the EU. …

Session 1

30 Years Since the Parade of Sovereignties in the Former Soviet Republics …

Keywords: Russian America, St. Herman of Alaska, expeditions from Ryazan to Alaska

RUSSIA’S Ryazan Province is along way from the country’s Pacific shores. There are no seaports or shipyards there. But somehow, in recent years, Ryazan Province has become a center for scholarly and practical research of the heritage of Russian America, which have included expeditions to Alaska. …

Keywords: Georges Pompidou, the Fifth Republic, president, prime minister, Soviet-French relations

SUMMER 2021 marked the 110th birth anniversary of Georges Pompidou, the second prime minister and second president of the Fifth Republic. The life of this energetic and exuberant man was cut short by a protracted and severe illness that prevented him from completing his seven-year presidential term. This exceptional man and his unconventional political career deserve much more attention than he receives in Russia. …

Keywords: ICT, global cybersecurity

THE IDEA of using information and communication technologies (ICT) as a crucial means of achieving political goals is one of the most relevant issues in modern politics and political studies. Some of the main aspects elucidated by studies on this topic are the formation of a global information society, technologies of information wars, and many other issues around ensuring the state’s information security, including ways to push the Russian Federation out of the foreign information space. Until recently, Russian historiography did not pay adequate attention to the tactics and methodology used by states to achieve their foreign policy goals by manipulating public consciousness through modern ICT. Olga Melnikova’s monograph Global Cybersecurity and the Manipulation of Public Opinion [in Russian]* aims to shed further light on this topic. …

Keywords: global threats, international security, strategic stability, information technology, cyberreality

International Security, Strategic Stability, and Information Technologies [in Russian]* is a monograph on the most pressing problems of our time associated with threats posed by the harmful use of information and communication technologies (ICT). These issues are critically important for strengthening global security and protecting Russia’s national interests in the international arena. …