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08/10/11 | REVENGES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

The searches at German and Czech Gazprom subsidiaries that took place in the end of September are seemingly the revenge of the European Commission for South Stream and poor prospects of Nabucco. In reality the EU should have better consolidated partnership with Russia as long as our country has the largest gas deposits in the world — the cleanest kind of fuel.

07/10/11 | IS EURO BECOMING «CONTAGEOUS»? Possible scenarios for the euro-crisis

Globalization’s playing an evil joke on the global economics. Troublesome region can hardly be «contained» and put into a financial «quarantine», isolating it from the more or less healthy EU body until the recovery. Such medical analogies are rather popular these days — the former chief economist of the IMF Kenneth Rogoff has recently stated that «euro carry crisis from one country to another like an infection». Besides there already are several patients in Europe and the doctor is in the same ward with them.

03/10/11 | FAIRY-TALE ABOUT EUROPE WITHOUT BORDERS TURNED OUT... MERELY A FAIRY-TALE. Yet, it’s not the worst of it

On the 17^th of October EU summit is to take place — primary issue on the agenda of the day is the extension of Schengen zone to the EU freshmen of Bulgaria and Romania. Yet, the latest events have endangered the Schengen extension. Holland and Finland object to that, while all of the EU decisions are made on the consensus grounds.

27/09/11 | POST-ELECTION LATVIA: Ambiguity is on the rise

Law on Latvian elections gives voters an opportunity not only to vote according to the ballot papers, but also change the candidates’ numbers in the lists, thus, defining personal rating of politicians. Actual composition of the future Seim factions is the real factor, influencing the further development of parties. In case if Unity happens to be full of nationalists, negotiations with the Harmony Center will hardly be possible.

25/09/11 | TRANSDNIESTRIAN ELECTIONS: Russia would be better off keeping a neutral stance

Unification of a de-facto collapsed state is not a one-day affair. Reintegration project will hardly be steady in the long run, if it is ordered top-to-bottom, which the notorious experience of Bosnia and Herzegovina makes an evidence of. Such unification should be grounded upon the wish of a large group of population, if not a majority. At that, such wish is exactly amiss right now — and there’s not a single hint of urge towards consensus in the matter of the future state system of the united state either.

20/09/11 | «BARBAROSSA» AND «LEVIATHAN»

A situation emerges, which no one was able to foresee: Israel, the greatest U.S. ally (not only in the regional, but also in a global sense) and owner of nuclear weapons rivals Turkey with its largest NATO corps. At that Alliance must protect its members in case of an armed conflict against the third country.

20/09/11 | UKRAINE, TURKMENISTAN AND THE CASPIAN ENERGY PROJECTS

Euro-Commission initiative may be brought to life only by 2017 given the simultaneous accomplishment of three vital projects: Nabucco, Trans-Caspian main and the Turkmen East-West pipeline. Yet, experts should hardly proceed from this date, which will become real only given the most favorable set of circumstances like the successful solution of the Greek debt problems and some spare investment money.

18/09/11 | SLOW DEATH OF THE TINIEST SLAVIC NATION IN EUROPE

Lusatian Serbs (also known as Wends) are gradually deceasing in Germany. History has sent this nation the most sever challenges. Today we may hardly talk of a rude attitude of authorities, yet the nation is disappearing from the ethnic map of Europe. Neither Euro-Union, nor the adjacent Slavic states show empathy to the Wends’ destiny.

17/09/11 | GEOPOLITICS AND THE TRENDS OF MUSIC INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT. Part I

Having carefully studied the global music markets we’ll see that a lion’s share of music production — including the lyrics — is recorded and sold in English. Ethnic styles, where the artists perform in the national languages, make up the only exception, yet only confirming the dominion of the Anglo-Saxon culture in the global music industry! It turns out that the major labels and their management have long ago assumed the unequivocal responsibility of geopolitical shaping and censure of the mainstream tastes of different countries. They create the very model of the modern pop-culture and partially the counter-culture in its seeming variety.

16/09/11 | GAS DISPUTE: Haven’t Ukrainian authorities messed up their own reasoning?

If Ukraine finds an opportunity to reduce the internal energy consumption, finds a buyer for its gas and waits until the expiration of current contracts, these plans may actually come true. Yet, how does it match the scenario of splitting Naftogaz and placing the production capacities at the bourse?