Stories about International Relations from July, 2011
Sri Lanka: Double Standards
Ratmale at Serendipity wonders why many in Sri Lanka engage in anti American rhetoric and at the same time desperately want to send their kids to Universities in the US.
Haiti: Wikileaks & Fr. Jean-Juste
“Father Gerry Jean-Juste, a Haitian priest, was a friend of…mine. For those who follow Haitian politics, the rest of the Father Gerry story is known”: Now, Dying in Haiti republishes...
Georgia: Diversity in motion
Unable to visit each other's country because of the still unresolved conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, Reader in Baku comments on meeting with Armenians on neutral ground...
Ukraine: History of a Building
Leigh Turner, British Ambassador to Ukraine, sketches the history of the building in Kiev where the embassy is located.
Russia: To Join WTO Or Not?
Russia's considerations whether to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) or not is addressed by Julia at The Pipeline, and by Democratist.
South Korean Twitterers Mobilized As East Sea(Sea of Japan) Conflict Intensifies
The ongoing territorial dispute over the Dokdo(Takeshima) island has flared up as the Japanese Foreign Ministry instructed a boycott against Korean Air for hovering over the island located in the...
Thailand: How media handled story on the impounded Thai plane in Germany
Saksith Saiyasombut blogs about how the local media handled the story on the impounded Thai plane in Germany. The plane allegedly belongs to the Crown Prince.
Peru: Mining Commercial Sparks Controversy
A television ad [es] by Peru's National Mining Oil and Energy Society (SNMPE [es]) which aired on July 19 during the halftime break of the Peru-Uruguay football game for the...
Russia-Lithuania: Did Russian Pressure Set KGB-Officer Free?
Gerhard Mangott discusses [GER] to what extent Russian pressure was decisive for Austrian authorities to let a former KGB-officer free, wanted by Lithuania for January 1991 Vilnius deaths.
Afghanistan: Book offers diplomatic insights
Nick Fielding briefly reviews a book by Britain's former ambassador in Afghanistan, Sherard Cowper-Coles, and says that it is stuffed with fascinating material.
Armenia: Impressions of Georgia
Ianyan posts photographs and its impressions of a recent visit to Georgia, Armenia's northern neighbor. Global Chaos, another Armenian blog, also does the same.
Lithuania-Austria: Ex KGB-Officer Causes Controversy
Albatross of Litauen blog reports [GER] about a controversy between Lithuania and Austria, where Austrian authorities first arrested and then released a former KGB-officer, who commanded Soviet Alpha-forces during the...
Russia: Putin Wary of WTO
Kyle Keeton of Windows to Russia argues that Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, is right in his wariness towards membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO), fearing that this might...
Russia: Putin As Universal Evil
Ernst Krenkel of Backyard Safari discusses [GER] how Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, is often portrayed as a universal evil in the West, to the point where he is even...
China: Netizens response to Barack Obama's meeting with Dalai Lama
Olivia from China Hush translated Chinese netizens’ angry response to U.S President Barack Obama's meeting with Dalai Lama on July 16, 2011 at the White House.
Jamaica: Coming Out
“Jamaican attitudes towards homosexuality are shifting,” explains Active Voice, adding: “Those who militate on behalf of gay rights here and elsewhere need to respond to this, rather than to non-existent...
South Sudan: Messages of #LoveFromSudan
On the eve of the independence of South Sudan, a group of young Sudanese started a movement that is trying to start a conversation between North and South to create mutual friendship between both sides and link young citizens of the two countries. The movement uses the hashtag #lovefromsudan.
Turkmenistan: Israel's trip over geopolitics
Few observers are aware of Israel’s strange diplomatic dance with Turkmenistan, which has involved the Tel Aviv’s attempts to court Ashgabat as a potential lever against Iran, Emerson reports.
Montenegro: Serbian not spoken here?
M. Bozinovich of Serbianna discusses a recent Montenegro census saying that 20% of Montenegrins no longer speak Serbian, and whether this is an actual result or caused by nationalism.
Cuba, U.S.A.: About that Embargo
Iván García contends that despite the general pragmatism of U.S. policy, “regarding the Cuban embargo, the Americans show a notable stupidity”, calling it “an authentic mirrors game…of course, the ones...
Madagascar: Honduras as an Example of Crisis Recovery
Commenting on the publication of the report from the Honduras Truth and Reconciliation Commission on July 7th, Madagascar Tribune has published [fr] an opinion piece by Patrick A: “As the...
