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| Bagapsh tries to preserve independence in politics. Georgian political scientist Mamuka Areshidze in an interview for DespiteBorders |
Martin Braxatoris | 19.12.2008
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Mamuka Areshidze is Georgian political scientist specialising in the questions of Caucasus. He works as the Director of the Caucasian Centre of Strategic Research. In November 2008, he founded the social organisation the House of Free Opinion. In an interview for the portal Despite Borders he answered questions pertaining to the political situation in Abkhazia. From the point of view of stability, what is the situation in Abkhazia like today? Stability is virtual in a sense. Speaking of the north of Abkhazia, we may say that there's a relative calm. As far as southern Abkhazia is concerned, this doesn't hold true. There are conflicts among Georgian police, Russian soldiers and Abkhaz troops under way along the administrative border between Abkhazia and Georgia. There's a peculiar situation along the frontier with Abkhazia and South Ossetia...
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| We certainly will be recognized. Pridnestrovian political expert Roman Konoplev in an interview for DespiteBorders |
| Michal Ondrejčík | 06.12.2008
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Pridnestrovian political expert and chief of PR-agency Consulting Mobile Roman Konoplev in an interview for DespiteBorders.com speaks of Pridnestrovie (further information www.pridnestrovie.net). DespiteBorders has already been interested in Pridnestrovie partially there. What are attitudes of Pridnestrovian inhabitants (and local authorities) to legal status of Pridnestrovie and to possibilities of solution of this problem (meaning reunification with Moldova – confederation, federation, autonomous region; "reunification with Ukraine” or joining with Union of Russia and Belarus)? Is there any kind of exhaustion due to long-standing status quo? Since Pridnestrovian Republic has already existed for 20 years, the citizens of Pridnestrovie have learnt many things. Nobody is ready to sacrifice freedom...
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| Ukraine is heading for a civil war. Ukrainian political scientist Yuriy Romanenko in an interview for DespiteBorders |
| Juraj Marušiak | 14.10.2008
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Ukrainian journalist and political scientist Yuriy Romanenko is the Director of the Political Analysis Centre Stratagema and the head of special projects of the centre Glavred. He's at the same time the editor-in-chief of the internet portal Polité. In an interview for DespiteBorders, he speaks of one of the possible alternatives to Ukrainian future. Why have BYuT and People's Union – Our Ukraine proved to be incapable of forming a coalition of democratic forces for the second time, although they acted as allies during the "Orange Revolution”? They are rivals in their quest for power. They have been competing for presidential post. It was clear from the very beginning and therefore no peace can be between them. President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko accuse each other of being involved in early elections...
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| Lukashenko doesn’t want to recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Belarusian political scientist Andrey Liakhovich for DespiteBorders |
| Juraj Marušiak | 03.10.2008
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On 28th September, 2008, parliamentary elections were held in Belarus. The observer mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe has rejected to recognise their result. DespiteBorders talks with the political scientist Andrey Liakhovich, the Director of the Centre for Political Education, about their implications for innerpolitical development in Belarus as well as the latest development within Belarusian-Russian relations. How do you asses the course of the parliamentary elections in Belarus and their results? Under the conditions of an authoritarian regime the elections couldn't have free and democratic character. Like in the past, the work of all structures of state apparatus was orientated towards the achievement of results contrived by the authority. All 110 candidates nominated by the authority...
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| Territorial integrity of Georgia is indisputable: Georgian Ambassador to Slovakia Nikoloz Nikolozishvili |
| Martin Braxatoris | 21.08.2008
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In the night of 7th August, a military conflict broke out in Georgia. The Russian Federation got involved in this conflict as well. In connection with war events in Georgia, we have asked the Embassy of Georgia to Slovakia for an interview. We have been given the interview by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Slovakia Nikoloz Nikolozishvili. We have asked also the Embassy of the Russian Federation for an interview. We have been currently waiting for its statement. We're hoping that we will be able to bring the interview to our readers within a short space of time. How did the war conflict in Georgia originate and what steps were taken by the parties in order to prevent the conflict? First of all, it is necessary to say that this conflict originated sooner than in the beginning of August. We pointed out to our Western partners...
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| Belarusian political scientist Vitaly Silicky: The people don’t believe that changes in Belarus are conceivable |
| Juraj Marušiak | 29.07.2008
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Vitaly Silicky ranks among prominent Belarusian political analysts. In the past, he worked at the European Humanity University in Minsk (1999 – 2003), in the period 2005 – 2006 he participated in a training period at the Stanford University (USA). Nowadays, he's the Director of Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies, which integrates several independent analytical centres in the country. He publishes his articles and studies in domestic as well as foreign journals and anthologies. Fundamental political as well as economic changes have been under way in all post-communist countries since the beginning of the 1990's. It seems as if nothing changed in Belarus and regime's position appears to be persistently stable. Why does President Aleksander Lukashenko hold onto the power such a long period?...
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| Russia-Ukraine gas dispute was not the biggest threat to EU energy security: The Director of Gas Research at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies Jonathan Stern |
| Peter Ševce | 31.05.2008
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Jonathan Stern is the Director of Gas Research at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. He is also Honorary Professor at the University of Dundee and the Chairman of the British Institute of Energy Economics. His research area includes natural gas issues, the liberalisation and deregulation of energy market, Russian and CIS energy policy. At the beginning, I'd like to ask you one theoretical question. The energy security and the security of natural gas supply are very much discussed topics. However both terms are often mistaken one for another. Does the difference between them still exist? Both terms are meaningless unless they are precisely defined. The security of supply means to some people: will we – EU or individual member states – have enough gas/energy to meet our requirements at some point in the future at prices that we shall...
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