Other Voices

Piebalgs urges EU countries to fill the gap on development aid

Andris Piebalgs, the European development commissioner, has called on EU member countries to compensate the aid cuts from the bloc's long-term budget that were agreed by EU leaders at a summit last Friday.

Speaking at an informal meeting of EU development ministers in Dublin on Tuesday (12 February), Piebalgs said he regretted the deep cuts to the EU budget for 2014-2020.

Thursday, February 14, 2013 - 11:26 By:  Georgi Gotev, originally published by EurActiv
Managing Kashmir

Tensions over Kashmir remain at the sticking point of Indian-Pakistani diplomatic relations. In today's Questions and Answers presentation, the CSS' Prem Mahadevan explains the current dynamics shaping this 'frozen' conflict and weighs the prospects for their long-term resolution.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013 - 08:33 By:  Prem Mahadevan, ISN
Interview with Sergey Komlev, Gazprom Export

Natural Gas Europe was pleased to interview Sergey Komlev, Head of Contract Structuring and Pricing Directorate at Gazprom Export in advance of the European Gas Conference in Vienna.

Friday, February 8, 2013 - 13:20
The Role of Religion in Civil Wars

Religion often plays an important role in civil wars but is it ever THE precipitating cause behind them? As he explains in today’s Questions and Answers, the CSS’s Owen Frazer doesn’t think so. He sees (and describes) an interplay of factors that drive civil conflicts.

Thursday, February 7, 2013 - 09:10 By:  Owen Frazer, ISN
Essay on the Innovation and Intellectual Property System in Vietnam

In the last two decades, Vietnam has gone through major changes in economic system and institutional system. These changes have sky-rocked the growth of non-SOE and attracted more foreign investments, while decreasing a considerable number of SOE through process of privatization or dissolve. In 2009, non-SOEs were accounted for over 96% of total firms and contributed about 46% to the GDP, while foreign firms and SOE were accounted about 2.4% and 1.6% of total firms, but respectively contributed 19% and 35% to GDP.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013 - 10:39 By:  Vu Tuan Anh, Vietnamica
Georgia stands to lose in gamble over Abkhaz railway

State Minister for Reintegration Paata Zakareishvili recently announced that the railway passing through Abkhazia and connecting Russia with Georgia should be opened without any pre-conditions. It looks like this is not only his personal position, but a decision supported by Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and his Georgian Dream coalition. Conversely, the leader of United National Movement (UNM) opposition party, Mikheil Saakashvili, insists on the de-occupation of Abkhazia as the main precondition for opening the railways.

Thursday, January 31, 2013 - 11:48 By:  Zaza Gachechiladze, Editor of The Messenger
The natural hit of the economic crisis – a discussion on global systems’ robustness and resilience

The world seems to be caught in a vortex of bifurcations, that may land us in a very different environment, with much more uncertainty and perils.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013 - 10:34 By:  Daniel Daianu
Macedonian opposition: EU ignores democratic backslide

Macedonia's leading opposition party has accused the European Union of overlooking threats to democracy in the country, as anti-government protests continued yesterday (3 January) for the 11th day.

Friday, January 4, 2013 - 10:20 By:  EurActiv

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What is Other Voices?

Other Voices is intended to provide our readers with material from other countries and other people. Stratfor does not endorse the ideas and may even disagree with them. We nevertheless find them interesting and believe our readers will too. These will appear occasionally on subjects both broad and narrow.

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