Credit is due to Australia’s new Prime Minister and Foreign Minister for moving swiftly to correct the foreign and climate policy failures of the Morrison era. But shouldn’t there be a similar rethinking and resetting of strategic policy?
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Tag: Diplomacy
Russia hosts Afghanistan peace talks with US, NATO troop withdrawal deadline looming
Russia is to host on Thursday [18 March 2021] the first of three international conferences aimed at jump-starting a stalled Afghanistan peace process ahead of a May 1 deadline for the final withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops from the country.
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Turkey, Russia, Qatar foreign ministers push for political resolution in Syria
Turkey, Russia and Qatar are making a joint attempt to promote a political solution to Syria’s 10-year conflict. The foreign ministers of the three countries held talks in Doha on Thursday, 11 March 2021.
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Did Trump gift Biden a more stable Middle East?
Commentators are divided on the nature of the Trump Administration’s legacy in the Middle East. Was it left in a parlous state, or was Trump’s parting gift to Biden a more stable region?
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Refreshingly, Biden’s Middle East diplomacy looks strategic
President Trump left the Middle East in a parlous state. President Biden’s first steps in the region look more promising. The shift in America’s policy in the region, while subtle, is clear; and the messages it is sending will be received in Tel Aviv, Tehran, and Riyadh.
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Diplomatic efforts intensify as protestors are killed in Myanmar
Diplomatic efforts and international pressure intensify as tensions appear to increase in the Myanmar crisis, with casualties reported as the military continue attempts to disperse protestors.
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South Korea, China agree on early Xi visit, North Korea talks
Reuters reports that China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, has visited South Korea, and met with South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in, and foreign minister, Kang Kyung-wha.
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The future of multilateralism and strategic partnerships (Elena Lazarou)
The current European Commission has set the defence and reform of multilateralism as one of its key priorities. In this ideas paper from the EU Parliament’s Research Service, Elena Lazarou tackles the question of how to achieve the EU’s objective in an environment where coronavirus has exacerbated the struggle to uphold multilateralism in a climate of growing nationalism, protectionism and rising great power competition.
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Into the dragon’s mouth: the dangers of defence-led foreign policy (Richard Moore)
The Australian prime minister’s 2020 Defence Strategic Update has many strengths, but it does not address the critical factors of diplomacy and development. Australia’s unbalanced strategic posture risks becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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