Turkey’s importance to the EU should not be underestimated
Turkey’s unique geopolitical position, straddling both Europe and Asia (encompassing its proximity in the Middle East, Caucuses, Balkans, and Black & Caspian Sea regions specifically), has placed the country into a very advantageous position amongst all actors that are involved in any of these areas. Its longstanding membership in NATO and the Council of Europe, in addition to its historical military partnership with Israel, further underscores the fact that Turkey has long been, and continues to be, a partner of strategic importance to the West. Furthermore, with no end in sight to Europe’s reliance on imported Eurasian and Russian gas supplies, Turkey’s territory is the crossroads for the planned NABUCCO gas pipeline, which intends to decrease European reliance on Russian gas.

• June 2, 2010

The head of Russia’s Gazprom on Friday concluded in talks with Ukraine’s energy minister that Gazprom and Ukraine’s state-run energy company Naftogaz Ukrainy, could move toward creating a joint venture on a parity basis.

• June 1, 2010

In a signal of waning interest in its eastern neighborhood, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Cathering Ashton, has reportedly proposed abolishing the posts of EU special representatives for the South Caucasus and Moldova.

• June 1, 2010

Since this winter's presidential election, in which pro-Russian Victor Yanukovich emerged the victor, Ukraine has experienced a massive turnaround.

• June 1, 2010

India and China need to develop models of economic cooperation which will take into account each other's concerns, President Pratibha Patil said on Monday.

• May 31, 2010

Turkey has named a foreign policy expert with close knowledge of Iran as its new top spy, as the country linking Europe with the Middle East adapts its security priorities to deal with external threats.

• May 31, 2010

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismisses Iranian criticism that Russia is susceptible to Western influence and says Tehran has obstinately refused to address concerns about its nuclear program.

• May 29, 2010

At first, I was surprised to hear that the Stalinist regime in northern Korea had chosen to sink a democratic Korean corvette. The timing (late March) seemed off. The Tibet occupation commemorations had already passed, while the remembrance of the Tiananmen Massacre was still more than two months away.

• May 29, 2010