‘The Commission recommends opening of accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is achieved’: so reads the 2023 Enlargement Package unveiled on 8 November. Ahead of the European Council in December, some EU Member Stat...
The longstanding conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh ended with the capitulation of the breakaway republic to Azerbaijani forces in September. Almost the entire Karabakh population (120 000) fled their homes to seek sanctuary in Armenia. Yet peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia is not in sight. The E...
This Brief first seeks to understand India’s international and domestic motivations in pursuing such an active G20 presidency. It further looks at how the Indian regime is seeking to propagate its own civilisational worldviews while pursuing a transactional foreign policy. For the purpose of thi...
Sanctions receive most attention at the imposition and escalation stage. However, they often evolve into protracted, stagnating regimes which remain in place in the absence of any progress by the target that could warrant the lifting of sanctions. This Brief suggests reversing the prevailing log...
The new EU strategy for the Great Lakes is more of a framework for action to be undertaken by the EU in the region than a coherent strategy. The main focus of the renewed strategy is on economic opportunities linked to the region’s abundant supply of natural resources, while striving to resolve ...
Georgia’s polarised domestic politics and slow reforms have complicated its relationship with the EU. Autumn 2023 will be a pivotal period for the nation, as the EU will then decide about its candidacy status. While Georgia’s full compliance with the EU’s 12 recommendations is doubtful, extraneo...
There is great appetite among Iraqi politicians and Iraqi society at large for the EU to take on a bigger role in the country. › In the past, the EU has dedicated too much energy and too many funds to policies such as security sector reform. It should now play to its strengths including in the c...