CURRENT CHALLENGES FOR EU COHERENCE IN PROMOTING THE RULE OF LAW IN KOSOVO

Author(s): Monica Oproiu / Language(s): Issue: 2/2015

The appointment of a double-hatted High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR) and the creation of the European External Action Service (EEAS) were two of the main innovations brought by the Lisbon Treaty to the European Union’s foreign policy. According to their mandates, the High Representative and the External Action Service aim to increase the consistency of the European Union’s external action thus answering to on-going criticisms about the lack of a “single voice”. This paper aims to assess the policy implications of the main post-Lisbon institutional developments by using the concept of “coherence”. Understanding this concept as synergy among EU policies, the study will analyse the current challenges to the ways in which the EU is promoting the rule of law in Kosovo. Based on the critical analysis of EU documents and the academic literature, as well as semi-structured interviews with EU officials in Brussels and Kosovo, this paper questions whether the introduction of the High Representative and the creation of the EEAS improved the coherence of EU involvement in Kosovo, especially in the field of rule of law assistance.

Lithuania’s Foreign Policy Under the Eastern Partnership Programme in 2009–2014

Author(s): Maksimas Milta / Language(s): English Issue: 33/2015

The article addresses Lithuania’s foreign policy vis-à-vis the Eastern Partnership programme in 2009–2014 from the perspective of small states’ abilities to influence decision making processes within the European Union. The author aims at revealing the puzzle of Lithuania’s marginal capacities of absolute power being disproportional to the output of its foreign policy towards implementation of the Eastern Partnership programme and hence utilising “smart state strategy” conceptualised by Anders Wivel. The novelty of the study rests on expansion of applying the smart state strategy towards the post-negotiation stage of the policy implementation. The article contributes to the debate over the applicability of the “smart state strategy” approach towards the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union, by arguing that Lithuania’s foreign policy vis-à-vis the Eastern Partnership programme in 2009–2014 does indeed serve as an example of such behaviour, however recognising Lithuania’s initial shift from utilising “small state policy” to “smart state strategy”.

Turkey’s Security Dilemma on the Border with Syria

Author(s): Simonas Dapkus / Language(s): English Issue: 33/2015

Employing the concept of the security dilemma, the article aims to assess the situation on the Turkey-Syria border and discusses perspectives of Turkey’s humanitarian intervention in northern Syria. In the first section of the article an analysis of Turkey’s foreign policy and its implications on Syria’s crisis is provided. The second section deals with arguments for and against the intervention. Later on, international law and military provisions are discussed as well as the possible implications of an intervention. The main thesis of this article is that if Turkey chose to solve its security dilemma by means of a humanitarian intervention, the UN Security Council’s approval would greatly enhance the chances of its success. Otherwise,unilateral intervention could even further diminish the possibility of finding a faster solution to the Syrian crisis and regional peace and stability in general.

US and European Integration prior to 1968

Author(s): Hang Nguyen / Language(s): English Issue: 33/2015

This paper surveys the history of the United States policy towards European integration from 1945 up to 1968 before President Nixon came into office. Drawing on a detailed analysis of the documents mostly obtainable from the official websites of the US Department of State, the US National Archives, and the EU Historical Archives, the paper argues that it was the European geopolitical and economic context after the Second World War and the United States national interests which moulded this country’s pro-European integration policy. Thus, the paper will begin with an analysis of the search for global influence between the United States and the Soviet Union before examining how the United States redefined its core interests in recognition of the Soviet threat. Then, it will explore the role that the United States played in reconstructing Western European economy and defending it physically. Also,it is argued that the United States and Western Europe took concerted action together to create the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), European Economic Community (EEC), and the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom), the very first supranational institutions which have made the European integration process irreversible.It will be concluded that the vitality of the European integration project depended on US economic and political capital for its success.

Recenzija: Tarptautinių santykių teorijos: perspektyvos, įvairovė ir požiūriai globalioje politikoje

Author(s): Mindaugas Norkevičius / Language(s): English Issue: 17/2015

US FOREIGN POLICY IN THE CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA: POLITICS, ENERGY AND SECURITY

Author(s): Arda ERGUN / Language(s): English Issue: 18/2014

TURKISTAN: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FROM THE REFERENCE SOURCES OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Author(s): Hasan Ali Karasar / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 18/2014

The usage of the terms Central, Middle, and Inner Asia throughout the 20th century has resulted in the near death of a previous concept which has been used for the region for centuries. Despite the Soviet authorities’ political campaign against its use, the concept of Turkestan/Turkistan survived the past century well into the 21st. This study presents a survey of encyclopedic reference literature related to the concept of Turkistan published over the course of the 20th century. Here, nearly eighty encyclopedias in different languages were reviewed. This survey aims to help one clarify the definitions of the term reflected in perceptions of the concept across the globe during the mentioned time period. Additionally, the study also seeks to limit terminological anarchy by providing clear-cut definitions for terms such as Central, Middle and Inner Asia as well as concepts of Eastern, Western, Southern, Southeastern and Greater Turkistan in light of these reference sources.

THE CHINESE QUESTION IN CENTRAL ASIA: DOMESTIC ORDER, SOCIAL CHANGE, AND THE CHINESE FACTOR

Author(s): Emre Tunç Sakaoğlu / Language(s): English Issue: 18/2014

AZERBAIJAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONS: AZERBAIJAN’S PURSUIT OF SUCCESSFUL BALANCED FOREIGN POLICY

Author(s): Shamkhal Abilov,Ismayil Isayev / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 19/2015

Disintegration of the Soviet Union weakened the long-lasting Russian dominance over the post-Soviet space. Russia has utilized all likely attempts to grasp the vital control through vibrant interdependence. Azerbaijan as the strongest state of the South Caucasus region leaped into the international arena by means of building extensive cooperation and integration. It has undertaken independent foreign policy toward Russia that could be characterized as quite pro-Russian with high loyalty, or/and even in some contrary cases, Russia was skilfully kept at bay. This study seeks to examine the foreign policy of Azerbaijan toward Russia with analysis of Azerbaijan’s balanced foreign policy discussing whether or not Azerbaijan endeavours to preserve its national interests in her relations with Russia through a balanced foreign policy. The article scrutinizes the history of the relations between Azerbaijan and Russia from 1991 to 2013. It covers four major historical moments that caused turnovers in Russian-Azerbaijan relations.

EUROPE LOOKS FOR A REMEDY ON IMMIGRATION AS IT AGES

Author(s): Fatma Yılmaz Elmas / Language(s): English Issue: 6/2013

OBAMA’S REBALANCING POLICY TOWARD SOUTH AND EAST ASIA

Author(s): Kamer Kasım / Language(s): English Issue: 6/2013

NEED FOR DIALOGUE IN TURKISH–AMERICAN RELATIONS

Author(s): Metin Gürcan / Language(s): English Issue: 6/2013

TURKEY’S RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA IN THE CONTEXT OF TRANSITION PROCESS IN AFGHANISTAN

Author(s): Oktay F. Tanrisever / Language(s): English Issue: 6/2013

THE NEXT ISRAELI GOVERNMENT: NETANYAHU IS ALREADY IN, BUT WILL LABOR DARE TO STAY OUT?

Author(s): Nimrod Goren / Language(s): English Issue: 6/2013

U.S. INTERVENTION IN SYRIA AND TURKEY’S ATTITUDE

Author(s): Mehmet Yegin / Language(s): English Issue: 6/2013

THE RIVALRY BETWEEN SAUDI ARABIA AND IRAN IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Author(s): Eyüp Ersoy / Language(s): English Issue: 6/2013

RIVALRY BETWEEN THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP AND EURASIAN CUSTOMS UNION: RUSSIA’S MOVE ON ARMENIA

Author(s): Kerim Has / Language(s): English Issue: 6/2013

TURKEY’S RELATIONS WITH INDONESIA: DEEPENING PARTNERSHIP

Author(s): Selcuk Colakoglu,Arzu Güler / Language(s): English Issue: 6/2013

Turkey and Indonesia have continued to develop cordial relations with each other since Indonesia attained independence. The fact that both of these countries possess Muslim majority populations and that both countries’ political goals and policies exhibit major similarities has constituted the necessary basis for close and friendly relations. Furthermore, it is expected that Turkey and Indonesia will be among the top 10 economies of the world within 20 years. Thus, Indonesia is a very important country for Turkey in terms of trade partnership. However, this mutual friendship and political closeness has not been sufficiently backed by economic, cultural and social ties. Thus, bilateral economic relations remained very weak up until the beginning of the 2000s. In this respect, this study has two primary aims; first, to compile a comprehensive reading of the major occurrences in bilateral relations from the 1950s until today; and second, to propose a roadmap that will strategically guide the future development of Turkish- Indonesian bilateral relations.

THE RISE AND FALL OF “THE TURKISH MODEL”

Author(s): İhsan Bal / Language(s): English Issue: 6/2013

THE EUROPEAN UNION’S EXTERNAL AFFAIRS POLICY – THE HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNION FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY

Author(s): Alexandru Bogdan Calance / Language(s): Issue: 4/2015

Starting with the Lisbon Treaty, which establishes the new European diplomatic landscape structure, this paper analyses the difference between the objectives expressed in the treaties governing the European Union's foreign policy, and the diplomatic European and international reality. The main objective of this paper is to reveal the extent in which the European Union runs a coherent and unified foreign policy, especially highlighting the problems faced by these institutions in the current international environment, after five years since the creation of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, as well as the European External Action Service The results of this paper show that, although from a legal standpoint it was attempted to clearly outline how the Union's external policies should work, on a practical level, this area still faces difficulties in performing at its full capacity.