On August 8, the conflict between Russia and Georgia erupted into war over break-away enclaves of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. German Marshall Fund has been tracking the developments in the wider Black Sea region for the … Continue Reading…
BERLIN — The government and legislature are officially still in their summer break, but both Merkel and Steinmeier have given interviews and are said to be involved in brokering talks. The foreign ministry’s Caucasus representative, Hans-Dieter Lucas, was in Tbilisi these past days as well. Merkel and Steinmeier, in their … Continue Reading…
BRUSSELS — 8/8/08 is not going to be remembered the way China would have wanted. Despite a widely praised opening ceremony, the first few days of the Olympics have been vastly overshadowed by the conflict in Georgia. In one sense, this has taken some of the heat off nervy Chinese … Continue Reading…
BRUSSELS — The current war in Georgia has taken much of the world by surprise. However, for those of us working on Georgia and traveling to that country, including the separatist provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, it was a conflict that was both predictable and avoidable. The … Continue Reading…
BUCHAREST — The war in Georgia concerns the international community, and it is making the prime news in most countries. In the countries of the Black Sea region–which are in close proximity to the conflict and are caught in the web of regional interests and rivalries–the war is not only … Continue Reading…
Bronislaw Geremek, who played a crucial role ending communist rule in Poland and then guiding Poland to democracy, NATO and the European Union, was killed in an automobile accident July 13. His was a public life to celebrate.
Born in Warsaw, Geremek escaped from the Warsaw ghetto when he … Continue Reading…
As I crossed the border from Turkey to Georgia, the border agent checking my U.S. passport smiled, gave me an American-style thumbs up, and said in broken English, “United States good, John McCain good.” This … Continue Reading…
WASHINGTON — April 2009 will mark the 10th anniversary of the entry of Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic into NATO. The journey of these and other former Warsaw Pact countries to NATO and to the European Union is one of the most inspiring transformations in modern history.
There are lessons … Continue Reading…