Publications Review 22.11.2013

In this issue you will find: Pacific economic cooperation, Visegrad Group, European Leadership Network, CFE treaty, perestroika in Venezuela, ethnic minorities, food security.

Pacific Economic cooperation council published another State of Region review for 2013-2014.

The outlook focuses on the growth rates of the region main countries, trade and capital flows, also outlines for the trade and development projects drawn up by the economies of the region. Here is a short preview of the Publication: the global economy continues to grow at a moderate pace in spite of the uncertainties about economic prospects in a number of large emerging and developed economies. The Asia-Pacific region is forecast to grow at 3.5 percent this year and 3.9 percent in 2014. Emerging markets continue to drive growth in the region accounting for 2.6 and 2.7 percentage points of the region’s growth in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Visegrad Group States and Russia - Conference Papers.

Recent conference held between the Visegrad Group states and Russia. The conference was dedicated mostly to the relations between group members and Russia, focusing on models of cooperation, the impacts of the economic crisis in Visegrad Group on Russia, energy issues and exchanging experience in building common civil society basis.

Conventional Arms Control in the Euro-Atlantic Region: Is it Desirable? Is it Achievable?

This policy brief written by Simon Lunn and published by the European Leadership Network analyzes the consequences of the demise of the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty, the imbalance it brought to the Euro-Atlantic region. The main issue in point is what sort of a framework, which will guarantee the security and control over conventional arms, to establish?

Perestroika in Chavenomics?

The article by Daniel Leon speculates about possible perestroika in Venezuela supposedly engineered by Chavez’s successor Nicolas Maduro. One of the ideas to realize is to loosen the public control of the foreign exchange market and thus partly break the oil monopoly of the government.

The Gulf and sectarianism

European Council on Foreign relations has recently published an online report by Fatima Ayub. The report explores the phenomenon of sectarianism and explains how governments in the region cultivate and manipulate sectarian agendas to pursue strategic policy goals, especially against ethnic minorities.

Global civil society calls for a Permanent Solution to G 33 Food Security Proposal in WTO

The online domain The Other news published a call from 270 civil society organizations urging the WTO to take effective measures of guaranteeing food security in developing countries. This is a matter of urgent of serious and immediate concern, which should amount to an embracing G 33 Food Security Proposal to the WTO.