IDIS Viitorul // Geopolitics and Regional Relations

ISLAMIC CALVINISTS - Change and Conservatism in Central Anatolia
english
Among Europeans who are sceptical of Turkish membership of the European Union, it iscommon to hear the view that Turkey has two souls, only one of which is Western. Theycontrast the cosmopolitan outlook of Istanbul with the vast Turkish interior, which is seenas backward, impoverished and ‘non-European’ in its values.Central Anatolia, with its rural economy and patriarchal, Islamic culture, is seen as theheartland of this ‘other’ Turkey. Yet in recent years, it has witnessed an economicmiracle that has turned a number of former trading towns into prosperous manufacturingcentres. This new prosperity has led to a transformation of traditional values and a newcultural outlook that embraces hard work, entrepreneurship and development.
European Stability Initiative

18.08.2007

Ukraine-Moldova: Problems and Prospects for Cross-border Co-operation
english
Ukraine and Moldova are confronting common challenges and opportunities that derive from the fact that both of the countries face the new political and security realities created by the EU enlargement process. Both of the countries are currently treated as outsiders of the European integration processes, but, being direct neighbours of the enlarging European Union and having explicitly declared integration with the EU as their strategic goals, are looking for ways to transform those declarations into reality. Crossborder cooperation is one of the areas in which effective transformation is possible and will be favorably perceived and supported by the EU.
I.Pidluska, President of the Europe XXI Foundation, Kyiv, Ukraine

18.08.2007

Russia, the EU and the common neighbourhood
english
Throughout the 1990s, Russia tended to underestimate the impact of the EU’s forthcoming eastwardenlargement. Compared with NATO’s expansion into post-Communist territory, EU enlargement looked likethe lesser evil. However, over the last two or three years, Russia has been reversing its views. While Moscowhas been fairly happy about its co-operation with NATO, it has become increasingly concerned about EUpolicies. Russia has now woken up to the fact that the EU-25 is markedly different from the EU-15, and notonly because of its size. Eight of the newcomers (as well as soon-to-be members Bulgaria and Romania) wereonce dominated by Moscow.
Dmitri Trenin is deputy director of the Carnegie Moscow Centre

Home / Geopolitics and Regional Relations