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Photo: In the Assembly Hall shortly before the meeting got under way, Premier N.S. Khrushchev (right), Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, and Premier Fidel Castro, of Cuba, are seen greeting each other. UN Photo. 20 September 1960. United Nations, New York.

By Mark Weisenmiller

TAMPA, USA (IDN) – The UN General Assembly will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its memorable 15th session in 2020. Never before in history had so many extraordinary historical and political leaders of a century been gathered in one place at the same time.

Yet for Frederick H. Bolan of Ireland (President of that General Assembly) and Dag Hammarskjold of Sweden (the then UN Secretary-General), the number of heads of state or government present – 32, by far the most at any one time in the history of the United Nations – was the least of their concerns.

UN INSIDER

Photo: Group photo of leaders (left to right) of South Africa, India, China, Russia and Brazil at 2019 BRICS summit in Brasilia. CC BY 2.0

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK | BRASILIA (IDN) – Leaders of BRICS states comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have called for strengthening and reforming the multilateral system, including the United Nations, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other international organizations, and reiterated their commitment to shaping a more fair, just, equitable and representative multipolar international order.

SUSTAINABILITY
Global Partnerships

Photo: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressing a nonproliferation conference in Moscow on 8 November 2019. Source: Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

By Kingston Reif and Shannon Bugos*

WASHINGTON, DC (IDN | Arms Control Association) – Top Russian Foreign Ministry officials have issued a fresh set of warnings about the future of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) because, they say, the Trump administration continues to refuse to engage in talks on extending the treaty.

Washington “is evading any serious discussion, making public discouraging signals regarding the future of this treaty,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov November 8 at a nonproliferation conference in Moscow.

THE WORLD
Russia

Photo credit: Roscongress | Vyacheslav Viktorov

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW (IDN) – After the first Russia-Africa Summit in the Black Sea city Sochi on October 23-24, Russia and Africa have resolved to move from mere intentions to concrete actions in raising the current bilateral trade and investment to appreciably higher levels in the coming years.

As a first step, Russia plans to offer trade subsidies and investment guarantees as an emergency support for Russian companies to penetrate into African market, part of the strategy for strengthening economic ties between Russia and Africa, according to a report by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

THE WORLD
Russia

Photo: U.S: President Barack Obama and Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev after signing the "New START" treaty on 8 April 2010 in Prague. CC BY 4.0.

Viewpoint by Daryl G. Kimball

The writer is Executive Director of the Arms Control Association. The following is the text of his article published in Arms Control Today.

WASHINGTON, DC (IDN | Arms Control Association) – Since 2017, the Trump administration has sought to expand the role and capability of the U.S. nuclear arsenal while withdrawing the United States from key agreements designed to reduce nuclear dangers.

ARMAMENTS
Nuclear Weapons

Photo credit: Roscongress Foundation | Danila Vorobyov

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW (IDN) – President Vladimir Putin hosted the first Russia-Africa summit on October 23-24 in the greatest display of Moscow's efforts to restore its geopolitical foothold on the continent after the historical collapse of the Soviet era.

Russia had played rather a crucial role in the continent during the Soviet era, supporting independence movements and training government leaders in former Soviet client states such as Angola, Ethiopia and a few others. Moscow's relations with Africa deteriorated after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, with China taking over as the continent's key foreign business partner.

THE WORLD
Russia

Photo: Statements by Russian Putin and Egyptian President El-Sissi for media. Credit: Roscongress Foundation | Anatoliy Medved.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW (IDN) – The first Russia-Africa Summit that brought together African leaders, corporate businesses, academics and other experts in the Black Sea city of Sochi on October 23-24 has agreed an action plan. At the initiative of African participants, a new dialogue mechanism – the Russia-Africa partnership forum – has been created.

Top-level meetings will take place within its framework once every three years, alternately in Russia and in an African state. And, the foreign ministers of Russia and three African countries – the current, future and previous chairpersons of the African Union – will meet for annual consultations.

THE WORLD
Russia

Photo: Discussion on the role of media in Russian–African relations. Credit: Roscongress Foundation | Evgeniy Reutov.

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW, (IDN) – Russian and African communication experts have moved closer to forging collaboration in bridging the information gap between the two regions as well as fight against “anti-Russian propaganda” by western and European media in Africa.

Some of the popular questions the panelists tried answering during the two-hour long deliberations as part of the Russia-Africa Forum within the framework of the Summit on October 23-24 included:

THE WORLD
Russia

Photo source: Valdai Club

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

MOSCOW (IDN) – Russia is now the new foreign player in Africa. Russia's renewed interest in and ‘final great return’ to Africa is primarily due to the desire to restore its previous influence, to halt economic exploitation and western dominance, and to build allies as it experiences growing criticism by Western countries.

While Russians are aware of the competitive conditions on the African continent, Africans view Russia as another fairly large trading partner and probably a stabilizing and balancing factor in the face of other foreign players. Interestingly, Russia's return has sparked debates around the world. Russians are very sensitive toward the usage of the word "return" in business meetings, academic discussions and public speeches.

THE WORLD
Russia

Image: A 1791 British caricature of an attempted mediation between Catherine (on the right, supported by Austria and France) and Turkey. Source: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-USZC4-6756.

Viewpoint by Jonathan Power

LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – It’s time overdue for the West to make up with Russia. The contretemps over Ukraine, now played out over five years, is too long. As the world goes it doesn’t deserve so much attention. Ukraine in land mass may be a big country but its population is only 44 million and its national income per head a quarter of Russia’s.

The Ukrainian puppy’s tail has been wagging the West’s dog. It’s part of the West’s human rights commitment to stand up for the little man, but the Ukraine government’s behaviour at the time of its great upheavals didn’t deserve the large amount of support it was given.

OPINION

  1. Russia Opens a New Chapter with Africa
  2. The Sochi Summit and the Pride of Africa
  3. Ekaterina Dyachenko Assesses Russia-Africa Trade
  4. Russia and Africa Need to Know More About Each Other
  5. Experts Alarmed at Reports U.S. May Exit Open Skies Treaty

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