Category: Timely Commentary & Analysis

Spotlight Brazil

By Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

What Will be the Legacy of the 2014 World Cup for Brazil? From June 12 to July 13, Brazil will host the 2014 FIFA World Cup across twelve cities. During the tournament an estimated 600,000 foreign visitors and 3 million Brazilians are expected to travel across the country of more than 200 million people. Over […]

Trends, Actors, and Factors in India’s 2014 Elections

“Five months ago debates in India were centered around the predictions on who will win the upcoming election, but today, the discussions are more about how a BJP government [will] look,” said Milan Vaishnav, associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s South Asia Program, at an event hosted by the South Asia Center. The […]

After Ukraine: Moscow’s Next Offensive

By Marik String

While the outcome of Ukraine’s upheaval may not be clear, this much is: Russia has successfully used sanctions, a pile of cash and natural gas discounts to set back Ukraine’s effort to build itself a European future. Even as Russia shifts focus to ensuring the safety and prestige of next month’s Sochi Olympics, the Euro-Atlantic […]

State of the Union 2014: Any Foreign Policy Strategy There?

As Barack Obama began the sixth year of his presidency with a State of the Union address tilted heavily toward domestic issues, how well did he reflect a clear strategic vision on the global challenges to US interests? Not too well, says Atlantic Council Vice President Barry Pavel. Not too badly, say Council member Jane […]

The Danger of Divergence: Transatlantic Financial Reform and the G20 Agenda

The United States and the European Union cannot afford to follow separate paths on financial reform, according to Senator Christopher Murphy (D-CT), EU Ambassador to the US João Vale de Almeida, and a number of leading experts from the Department of the Treasury, the SEC, the European Commission, the private sector, and academia.  Following the […]

Making Sense of the Geneva II Syria Peace Talks

Following the rancorous opening of the Geneva II peace talks, and amid competing proposals and counter-proposals by the delegations of the Syrian government and the opposition, the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East convened a panel of experts on January 28, 2014 to parse the talks to date and to forecast possible outcomes. Ambassador […]

Pakistan’s Vision for Regional Peace and Prosperity

The year 2014 will mark a critical test for Pakistan and its new civilian leadership. Upcoming elections in two neighboring countries, a slated withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan, and growing regional security and economic demands place Sartaj Aziz, leading national security and foreign affairs adviser to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, at the helm of […]

Roundtable on Regional Perspectives on Nuclear Diplomacy with Iran

In November 2013, Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) signed an interim agreement on the Iranian nuclear program. While a significant breakthrough, the deal has not been universally considered a guarantee against Iranian acquisition of nuclear weapons. Focusing on regional views of nuclear diplomacy with Iran, the […]

The Congress Party’s Foreign Policy Legacy

The upcoming Indian general elections, likely to take place in 2014, provide an ideal opportunity to examine the foreign policy legacy of the United Progressive Alliance, the coalition of parties governing India under the leadership of the Congress Party.