In 2013, Barak Obama and John Kerry managed, not without difficulty, to steer Israeli and Palestinian leaders back to peace negotiations. At the same time, Washington re-established dialogue with Tehran in talks aimed at finding a solution to the Iranian nuclear problem.

The revolutionary forces that shook the Arab world in 2011 were fighting for more just societies. Justice, however, is difficult to bring about in post-dictatorship transitional phases.

Turkish leaders would like to turn their country into the leader of the Middle East. However, they are in competition with another of the region’s key players: Iran.

Many Israelis and Palestinians contest the ‘two-state solution’.

Russia, as the fourth largest greenhouse-gas emitter in the world, and a major supplier of fossil fuels causing these emissions, played a decisive role in the enforcement of the Kyoto Protocol, the main instrument of global climate policy so far. 

Recent events have provided the opportunity for the rekindling of relations between Ukraine and the European Union.

Social media enable new means of natural disasters management. It is now easier to locate victims, to find shelters, or to coordinate humanitarian aid. Prevention has also become more efficient. From now on, this tool will be more and more present in the field of natural disasters management; however, it also poses some risks because of its open nature, which makes control more difficult.

The article explores the importance of a transition to a “green economy” for Russia, as well as the potential opportunities and constraints for its national businesses.