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2011 Asia and Africa today

 

BRICS: MODERNIZATION AND COOPERATION

INTERNET ECONOMY: RUSSIA AND INDIA AS DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE SAME COIN by D.O.Shelkunov
Keywords: Internet, Internet economy, outsourcing, Russia, India
The article dwells on the topical issue of how the Internet and modern information technologies affect the global economy in general and the Indian and Russian ones in particular. The article analyzes the concepts of the Internet- economies in Russia and India, gives a mid-term forecast for the development of information societies in these two countries. The main emphasis of the work is put on the comparison of the involvement of these two countries into the global Internet business, as well as the assessment of the competitiveness of Indian and Russian IT-companies in the international market of high technologies. The author concludes that the Indian model of development, which can be characterized by deep integration into global business processes and a high level of interaction with counterparts around the world, is by far the most profitable for the country in terms of far-reaching state interests and from the financial perspective as well.

INNOVATION POLICY: BRICS, SOUTH AFRICA AND RUSSIA by V.S.Grishenko, D.A.Sineschekova, A.D.Filippova, L.L.Fituni, E.S.Chmeleva
Keywords: the Republic of South Africa, BRICS, Russia, innovation
The article covers the realities of the innovation policy of South Africa, the state which has joined the BRIC group in the spring of 2011. The authors come to conclusion that South Africa has great scientific potential which is being purposefully developed. Such strategy, in case of its successful realization, will open for the Republic of South Africa excellent prospects for active inclusion into global economy. At the same time, the country should make much more in order to make world investors, whom the state is in great need, feel more confidently in the South Africa market.

CHINA AND INDIA: THEIR ROLE IN SOLVING WORLD ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS by I.V.Sablin (St. Petersburg)
Keywords: ecology, environmental contamination, the Peoples Republic of China, India, globalization
The fast-growing countries are playing nowadays a key role in solving the world ecological problems. If the consumption level in India and China comes nearer to that of the developed countries the world would suffer ecological catastrophe.
The author underlines that it is absolutely necessary to find the compromise between aspiration to economic growth and the limited natural resources.

RUSSIA AND SECURITY IN THE AFRICAN CONTINENT by G.M.Sidorova, PhD (History)
Keywords: Russia, Africa, peace making, conflicts, piracy, the African Union
To help African countries to change their continent into the continent of peace and cooperation - that is what Africans expect from the world community today. According to the author, after the pause caused by internal political problems Russia is coming back to Africa as an active intermediary in solving conflict situations.

REVOLT IN THE ARABIAN WORLD: CROPS AND SHOOTS

THE BAHRAIN BREAK: STORM IN THE FINANCIAL HARBOUR by L.V.Shkvarya, Dr.Sc. (Economy), N.N.Eliseev
Keywords: Bahrain, economy of Bahrain, national disturbances
Only several months ago the economy of the Kingdom of Bahrain was demonstrating enviable stability. The construction of the largest financial center in the Near East, the so-called financial harbor is continuing in Bahrain. However these days the construction of the «harbor» is in doubt due to the turmoil of the Arabian spring turmoil: the shiites majority is protesting against the policy of the ruling sunnites Al-Halifa dynasty. Authors believes that the conflict between opposition and the authorities will affect life of not only Bahrain itself, but also other the countries of the Gulf region as well as the Russian-Bahrain trade and economic cooperation.

FRANCE AND THE EU IN THE NEAR EAST by P.P.Timofeev
Keywords: France, the European Union, the Near East, Arab-Israeli conflict, Iraq, Iran
The author is analyzing the role and the policy of France in the Near East. Activity of Paris in the Near East is goes thru promoting deferent initiatives which are realized on behalf of EU. France played an active role in the Persian Gulf crisis in the early nineties, confronted with the United States on international scene in connection with the beginning of the war in Iraq in 2003. Paris is an active participant of Near-Eastern peace process as well as negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program. The author is analyzing the role of France in the events of the Arabian spring and its participation in military campaign against a regime of Gaddafi.

POWER: PRESENT AND FUTURE

ATOMIC ENGINEERING IN CHINA AFTER FUKUSHIMA ACCIDENT. Part 1. by A.V.Goncharuk
Keywords: the Peoples Republic of China, atomic engineering, «Fukushima-1» accident
«Fukushima-1» accident increased requirements for safety of atomic engineering, forced revision and even curtailment of plans of its further development not only in Japan, but also in Germany, Switzerland and Italy. At the same time, the majority of the countries, first of all, the fast- developing ones are not ready or willing to renounce this energy source.
The author dwells on the Chinese nuclear program, its problems, development of export technologies, an entry to the world market, and also on prospects of cooperation between the Chinese and Russian nuclear scientists.

EXPORT OF THE INDIAN DIRECT INVESTMENTS by N.V.Galishcheva, PhD (History)
Keywords: capital export, direct foreign investments, India, Southern Asia, Africa
Internationalization of the Indian capital - one of the major proofs of openness of Indian economy, its integration into the world economy. A colony in the past, for long time serving as an object of expansion of the British capital, India has become one of the largest source of direct investments not only for the majority of South Asian and African countries, and also for emerging economies.
The geography of investment activity of the Indian capital continues to expand, actively extending to the developed countries, first of all the United States, Canada, Belgium and Great Britain.

REGIONAL SECURITY: A NUCLEAR GHOST IN THE KOREAN PENINSULA
Since North Korea conducted two nuclear tests, in 2006 and 2009, permanent tension on the Korean peninsula, which is a last relic of Cold War, has acquired a nuclear dimension. Meanwhile the international talks over Korean denuclearization problem, which include also South Korea, the United States, China, Russia and Japan, broke off in April
2009 when North Korea walked out a month before its second nuclear test.
In summer 2011 some moves towards reopening of 6- party talks have taken place. Noteworthy was a visit to Russia by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. During his talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Kim confirmed Pyongyang’s willingness to resume the negotiations and to consider a moratorium on nuclear testing and production. Still up to now Washington hasn’t accepted Pyongyang’s gestures claiming that the United States need deeds not words.
While there is almost a unanimous agreement on explosive nature of stalemate on the Korean peninsula opinions differ regarding its reasons and perspectives of 6- party talks even if they resume.

WHO IS GUILTY? by A.Z.Zhebin, PhD (Political)
Keywords: nuclear problem, the Korean Peninsula, non- distribution of the weapons of mass destruction, the People’s Republic of China
From the beginning of 1990-s the nuclear problem of the Korean Peninsula began to take the central place in complex of the problems connected with the Korean settlement. These problems have both internal (Interkorean), and the international character: the peace treaty, the problem of non- distribution of weapons of mass destruction, safety of the neighboring states.
The author notes that the United States is interested to support certain level of intensity on Peninsula since it justifies preservation of forward American forces of borders of Russia and China.
More over, the ultimate goal of the United States is also evident - to replace a regime of the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea and to unite forward Peninsula under its own patronage, getting an important base on borders of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China.

IS THERE AN EXIT FROM DEADLOCK?  By V.I.Denisov, Dr.Sc. (History)
Keywords: the Korean Peninsula, nuclear problem, six- party negotiations, weapons of mass destruction
The author analyzes a problem of proliferation of the nuclear weapon on the Korean Peninsula. Without the political settlement of a nuclear crisis on the Korean
Peninsula the situation with the international regime of non- proliferation of the nuclear weapons as a whole can aggravate most seriously. The article covers complexities of 6-parties negotiations and possibilities of their renewal in the near future.

NAZIR TYURYAKULOV, THE AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY by P.V.Gusterin
Keywords: N.T.Tyuryakulov, Jidda, diplomatic relations, reprisals, hadjj
This is an article about life and career of the first Soviet Kazakh ambassador Nazir Tyuryakulov (1893-1937).

THE YOUNG DID NOT WAIT TILL WINTER by Yu.N.Zinin, PhD (History)
Keywords: Sudan, wedding, customs
The author shares his impressions about Sudanese wedding which he attended and also about some customs which precede the wedding ritual in traditional Sudanese families.

«THE COUNTRY OF THIEVES, ITS KING LIVES IN LIE …» by Yu.I.Noskov
The international organizations annually name Indonesia as one of the most corrupted states in Asia and all over the world. According to one Indonesian political scientist, for Indonesian people corruption is «something natural».
The author presents a selection of poems of the Indonesian authors devoted to this social phenomenon, and also to the anticorruption campaign which is going on in Indonesia. Poems are published in Yu.I.Noskov’s translation.

LIGHT AND SHADES OF POLYNESIAN «PARADISE». Part 1. by Yu.M.Sokolov, retired Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Keywords: New Zealand, Polynesia, Maori
The author shares his impressions of stay within several years in New Zealand and Oceania where he served as the ambassador of the USSR. The article covers history and customs of «people of Maori» - traditional indigenes of the country, and also some interesting historical events which took place in this «Garden of Eden».

INDIA: CENTURY OF STRUGGLE AND FORMATION OF THE GREAT POWER by G.I.Chufrin, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences
The review of F.N.Yurlova and E.S.Yurlov’s research «History of India. The XXth century» (М., Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2010,
920 pp.).

Summary