
The situation in Asia-Pacific will not allow an easy establishment of a solid international security arrangement.

“National identity” and “nationalism”—there is nothing permanent about them. They vary, depending upon who speaks about them, and they change as time goes by. Those who resort to ultra-nationalism now in Russia had better hurry, because the nation states are losing efficacy, and values transform as economy and society change.

The simple axiom is: as far as you have a sufficient economic growth, you can be generous to the immigrants, but if the economy goes wrong, you should limit the inflow of foreign workers. The Russian economy is now ill, with a growth rate at slightly above one percent. And the more frustrated the Russians become, the more acute the ethnic problem becomes.

After the U.S. troops withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban will most likely regain the power under the auspices of Pakistan and possibly of another neighbor—China.

A special arrangement may be devised for the Eastern Partnership countries so that they can associate with both Russia and the EU. It would effectively serve to form a loose economic alliance between the EU and the Eurasian Union tied together by the common denominator: the Eastern Partnership nations.

Unexpectedly, Russia has emerged as a positive force in the eyes of the West. The eternal spoiler has turned into a benevolent power which toils to find a common solution with the West.

The impending G20 summit may well become a good occasion to usher in a process to build a mutually agreed-upon mechanism and rules to resolve conflicts.

Today, there is no misery like in Yeltsin’s days, but the emptiness remains in economy as well as in the hearts of the people. The economy is too dependent on oil and gas, and the society tends to suffocate the creative intellectuals and innovative business people.

Japan is back as a modern post-imperialist power. True, she has many problems, but they are no larger than the problems which other nations suffer.

Today Japan does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea, but both have substantial bearing on each other’s society.