DGAP in the news

Foreign Minister Westerwelle travelling to the Western Balkans

Interviews with Dr Cornelius Adebahr
25.08.2010 | Radio Free Europe, Daily „Danas“

The recognition of Kosovo was the main commentary focus of the German Foreign Minister’s trip to Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Kosovo. Cornelius Adebahr underlined the routine nature of the long-planned visit, even though it falls between the ruling by the International Court of Justice that Kosovo’s declaration of independence does not violate international law, and a session of the UN General Assembly at which this topic should be discussed. The current momentum may also motivate those states that have not yet recognised Kosovo to reconsider their position. At the same time, there is no better ways for Serbia to show its European credentials than to find a compromise with Kosovo, Cornelius Adebahr said.

Russian Media and Forest Fires

Interview with Dr. Stefan Meister
13.08.2010 | Deutschlandradio Kultur

Although with the internet the possibility to get information about impacts of catastrophes for Russian people increased, Russian administration further downplay dangers or detain information, so Dr. Stefan Meister, program officer at the Centre for Central and Eastern Europe of the Robert Bosch Foundation in an interview. The Russian leadership and especially Premier Putin have increased their public information strategy since the Kursk-accident 10 years ago. But there have been no changes with the reform of administration which are still mostly overchallenged in cases of accidents or catastrophes and which badly inform the Russian society.

Forest Fires in Russia

Interview with Dr. Stefan Meister
08.08.2010 | WDR 5, Die Tagespost, Radio Fritz, NRW-RV

The current forest fires in Russia show the inability of the Russian administration to fight fires and uncertainty about responsibility in this area, so Dr. Stefan Meister, program officer at the Centre for Central and Eastern Europe of the Robert Bosch Foundation, in different interviews. The delegation of responsibility for fire fighting to the local and regional level in Russia without allocation of the necessary technical and financial equipment fostered the spread of the forest fires. The Russian state has retrenched from the responsibility for the protection of the forest a couple of years ago. At the same time, Premier Vladimir Putin was not yet made responsible for the current situation because of his personal presence at the location of emergency. The longer the administration is not able to control the fires the more it will be difficult to protect from critics.

The Georgia War and its consequences

Article by Alexander Rahr
07.08.2010 | Abkhaz World

The conflict in Abkhazia and South Ossetia remains unsolved even two years after war in Georgia broke out, said Alexander Rahr, director of the Berthold Beitz Centre at the DGAP, within an article to Abkhaz World. The reason for this are the different perception and interpretation of the conflict among the parties involved. The EU for her part is forced to work actively on a solution despite her member’s split-up concerning a common position toward Russia, the expert said. On the one hand the dialog channels to Moscow should not be closed on the other hand the EU should offer Georgia the perspective of EU entry.

Oppenheim Center Hosted by TV Berlin

Almut Möller Guest of „Stadtgespräch“
04.08.2010 | TV Berlin

Almut Möller, the Head of the Alfred von Oppenheim Center for European Policy Studies, presents the Center’s research priorities and discusses current developments in European and foreign policy with her host Peter Brinkmann. The team at the Oppenheim Center is currently working on questions related to the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, European Foreign and Security Policy, the accession perspective of the Western Balkans and European Energy and Climate Policy.

German European Policy

Interview with Dr. Claire Demesmay
29.07.2010 | Die Zeit

In an interview with the German newspaper ‘Die Zeit’ Dr. Claire Demesmay, Head of the French program at the German Council of Foreign Relations, evaluates Germany’s European policy. Thanks to the successfully implemented savings measures of the so-called ‘Agenda 2020’, the Federal chancellor Merkel is nowadays leading a country which is regarded as being a ‘model of success’ within crisis-ridden Europe. Although Germany is certainly the most powerful country in Europe, the German government lacks the right sense for communicating this new position of power self-critically in Europe, concludes Demesmay. She supports a more self-reflecting German discussion on national and European interests.

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