President Lee Jae-myung’s April 2026 state visit to Vietnam was framed by a rare symmetry of diplomatic timing. General Secretary To Lam had been the first state guest received by the Lee administration in Seoul; Lee, in turn, became the
Armenia’s emerging artificial intelligence (AI) sector should be understood not as a sudden technological success story, but as a late attempt to overcome a long cycle of post-Soviet economic narrowing. After independence, Armenia experienced a sharp process of deindustrialization. The
Italy’s Entry into the Belt and Road Initiative: Expectations and ControversiesOn March 22, 2019, Italy became the first G7 country to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This decision,
India’s government-owned company, India Ports Global Limited (IPGL), has suspended its involvement in developing the Chabahar ocean port in south-eastern Iran, transferring its remaining financial commitment to Tehran. This follows the reimposition of sanctions against Chabahar on September 29, 2025
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s official visit to Azerbaijan on 4 May 2026 formalized the transformation of relations between Rome and Baku from a conventional diplomatic relationship into a comprehensive and multidimensional strategic partnership. At a time when Europe is
The release of Japan’s 2026 Diplomatic Bluebook and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s subsequent declaration on constitutional revision represent more than just a change in wording; they signal a fundamental pivot in the Tokyo-Beijing-Washington triangle. For decades, Japan’s foreign policy was
The Strategic Weight of Diplomatic DiscourseIn international relations (IR), the language states use to describe their role — the frames, metaphors, and identity claims embedded in policy documents and diplomatic communications — tends to shape what they can ask for,
IntroductionAs Korea and Bulgaria mark the 36th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026, their bilateral ties are entering a new phase defined less by symbolism and more by converging strategic interests. What was once a relationship characterized largely by cordial
Introduction: The Geopolitics of Digital RegulationThe politics of digital regulation has become one of the clearest examples of how economics, technology, and geopolitics now overlap. What might once have looked like a technical debate over competition law, online safety, or
IntroductionThe Korean nuclear debate has been among the hidden political taboos in the Korean political agenda and inter-Korean relations for more than five decades. Yet, President Trump’s decision to re-deploy the U.S. Terminal High Attitude Area Defense (THAAD) system from
