Link to the online publication "Europe-Asia Review".
Links to selected issue papers:
Europe – Asia. How the pandemic has changed our relations.
„The pandemic has revealed new dimensions of Euro-Asian relations. Europe has realized how dependent it is on Asian suppliers of medicines and medical equipment, and that it suffers from a lack of EU competence in this area. The most important conclusions are the growing importance of health as a strategic sector, the trend towards shortening of supply chains and the growing political distance to China, while forcing a stronger position on the Chinese market and strengthening alliances with the Asian allies of the West.”
Burma. The end of an experiment.
„The coup d’état in Burma put a halt to 10 years of democratic experiment, and the generals resumed their rule. The military has always had a strong position in that country, and in recent decades it has managed to establish its own “economic empire”. The coup was meant to protect it from dismantling; it was also a consequence of personal political ambitions of military leaders. Most likely, the military dictatorship will persist for years at the expense of brutal crackdown on protesters, and restrictions imposed on the opposition. The external pressure will be cautious, because no country wants to directly intervene in this conflict. The role of international community, including that of Europe and the USA, is limited to declarations and punitive sanctions. China, on the other hand, may play a more active role.”
France is ‘Back’ in the Indo-Pacific
"Paris has a relatively strong military presence in the Indo-Pacific region. It has about 4,000 troops operating in the Indian Ocean, while in the Pacific – some 3,000 troops. France’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific is a natural process for at least two reasons. France is not a foreign country in that area as it has its territories there, such as Mayotte and Réunion islands, the Antarctic Territories in the Indian Ocean, and in the Pacific, among others, New Caledonia and French Polynesia. French Indo-Pacific territories are inhabited by approximately 1.5 million people. France also has extensive Exclusive Economic Zones there – 9 million square kilometers. It is also worth remembering that France is both a nuclear power and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, which also contributes to the country’s readiness to take on greater responsibility and activity in the international arena."
India – EU: a partnership in the shadow of Beijing
"On May 8, a virtual summit between the European Union and India took place in Portugal. It brought a long-awaited breakthrough in economic relations: the unfreezing of negotiations on a trade deal and a decision to start talks on an investment treaty. These agreements – if successful – will cover almost two billion consumers and producers. But the EU and India share not just economic interests: the actual substance is a global strategy that looms largest in their relations. Both parties declare their commitments to defending multilateralism and a multi-polar global order based on the principles of international law, and the central role of the United Nations. In practical terms, it means meeting the challenge for the region and the world posed by a new, assertive policy of China, the world’s second-largest economic power and a dynamically growing supra-regional military force."
For a multipolar world order. European Union’s relations with ASEAN.
"ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is getting an increasingly important partner of the European Union, both due its dynamically growing economy and the size of the market (approx. 660 million people). Closer cooperation with the organization’s 10 member countries may also help Europe expand its political influence in the world’s strategic Indo-Pacific region which is struggling with the growing power and assertiveness of China. The challenge, however, is that ASEAN members also succumb to it and do not want to upset relations with their key neighbour."
Japan – EU: In Search for a New Security Architecture in the Indo-Pacific
"On May 27, 2021, the European Union and Japan held a virtual summit at which they pledged to enhance cooperation within the framework of their Strategic Partnership. It is particularly important due to growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, including the East and South China Seas, and in the Taiwan Strait. Both democracies, also parties to the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), face the challenge of a dynamically growing China which for Europe is a partner, but also an economic competitor and a “systemic rival“. For Tokyo, Beijing is a powerful neighbor which questions the country’s sovereignty over some of its territories in the East China Sea."
Pakistan. Economy in the shadow of politics
"Nuclear arsenal and strategic location make Pakistan a key country in the security architecture of the region as well as an arena of competition between the United States and China. Economic situation hinges much on political events and international problems such as the prolonged conflict with India about Kashmir. Of great importance are also relations with Afghanistan from which the USA and Allied forces have just withdrawn paving the way for its takeover by the Taliban."
"On August 31, 2021, the last US troops left the Kabul airport, bringing a close to the longest war in US history. For the Taliban – whom the Americans had removed from power 20 years ago – this was an occasion to celebrate the victory over the US and the end of the Western occupation, which they equate with the restoration of sovereignty. For Europe and America, it is loss of face, but also a question how to define relations with Afghanistan under the Taliban rule."
AUKUS: American competition with China at the expense of Europe’s security?
"On September 15, 2021, United States, Australia and the United Kingdom announced the creation of a new partnership to work for security and deepening ties in the Indo-Pacific region. The so-called “AUKUS” is also intended to strengthen a peaceful and rules-based international order. The pact’s flagship project is the construction of nuclear-powered submarines for Australia.
The news of AUKUS sparked outrage in Paris, as Australia canceled a USD 40 billion worth contract with France to build a fleet of conventional submarines. The European Union expressed its solidarity with Paris, and China condemned the new pact, arguing that it would harm peace and stability in the region. The establishment of AUKUS, on the one hand, strengthens the voices in favor of the “strategic autonomy” of the European Union, and on the other, indicates a growing concern about Beijing’s policy towards Taiwan and the entire Indo-Pacific region."
Israel and Arab countries one year after the Abraham Accords
"The Abraham Accords were concluded on September 15, 2020 between the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Israel. Embassies were opened, unrestricted trade, direct flights and tourist exchange began. However, the purpose of those agreements was not just to initiate a new chapter in difficult mutual relations, but above all building new security architecture in the troubled Middle East. For President Donald Trump’s US diplomatic team – which contributed decisively to the Israeli-Arab rapprochement – the deal was to become a foundation for lasting peace and stabilization, and a way to stop Iran’s expansion in the region. After a year and with a new administration in Washington, these hopes have only partially come true."
