ISSUE #23
06/18/2012
The European Union (EU) wants to sign the association agreement with Ukraine, the EU commissioner for enlargement and neighborhood policy, Stefan Fule, said during a meeting of the Ukraine-EU interparliamentary committee in Strasbourg on 13 June 2012. At the same time, he added that the EU expected that Ukraine would act in the following three sectors: holding elections in line with international standards; solving the problem of selective justice; and, finally, speeding up the implementation of reforms. READ MORE

• Gorshenin Weekly  |  Published on EGF: 19.06.2012  |  External Relations
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Insights into Turkish Domestic and International Politics during May 2012

Key Points:

• Turkey expels Syrian diplomats after the massacre of over 100 people in Houla. Although Ankara is rumoured in some circles to be harbouring remnants of the Syrian opposition military forces, overt Turkish intervention in Syria remains unlikely at the time of writing.
• Ankara increases its cooperation with the Kurdish Regional Government in Erbil, while also harbouring a high level, fugitive Sunni Iraqi politician. Tensions between Baghdad and Turkey continue to deteriorate over the two issues.
• The ongoing coup and terrorist investigations roiling the country have Prime Minister Tayip Erdogan concerned. The prime minister urged for the probes to speed up for the good of the country.
• Erdogan sparks a fierce debate in Turkey over his remarks on abortion rights.
READ MORE

• EGF Editorial  |  Published on EGF: 13.06.2012  |  External Relations
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ISSUE #21
06/04/2012
On 29 May 2012, Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski said that it was necessary to bring Ukraine closer to integration into the EU. “Let us not abandon Ukraine on its path towards the Western world because [it] will go to the East,” he said. READ MORE

• Gorshenin Weekly  |  Published on EGF: 11.06.2012  |  External Relations
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ISSUE #20
05/28/2012
In the resolution of 24 May 2012, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) expressed their concern over trials in Ukraine which they believe do not meet European standards. READ MORE

• Gorshenin Weekly  |  Published on EGF: 11.06.2012  |  External Relations
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ISSUE #19
05/21/2012
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where he also participated in an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). READ MORE

• Gorshenin Weekly  |  Published on EGF: 24.05.2012  |  External Relations
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ISSUE #16
04/30/2012
On the night of 20 April 2012, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko was transferred from the Kachanivska prison to Kharkiv's Ukrzaliznytsya (Ukrainian railway) hospital. On 23 April 2012, she was transferred back to the prison where the ex-premier is serving her sentence for signing the 2009 gas contracts with Russia. The Ukrainian State Penitentiary Service explained that Tymoshenko's return to the prison was motivated by her refusal to undergo the treatment course that had been prescribed by Ukrainian and German doctors. READ MORE

• Gorshenin Weekly  |  Published on EGF: 17.05.2012  |  External Relations
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ISSUE #17
05/07/2012
The Ukrainian Prosecutor-General's Office (PGO) has issued a reaction to a statement by former Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko, in which she claimed that she had been punched by prison guards. The Ukrainian news and analysis website Lb.ua quoted Prosecutor-General Viktor Pshonka as saying on 4 May 2012 that the Kharkiv prosecutor's office had refused to open a criminal case over the alleged beating of Yuliya Tymoshenko. At the same time, he stressed that the PGO agreed with this decision. READ MORE

• Gorshenin Weekly  |  Published on EGF: 17.05.2012  |  External Relations
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ISSUE #18
05/14/2012
On 9 May 2012, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko was transferred from the Kachanivska prison to the central clinic of Ukrzaliznytsya (Ukraine's railway monopoly) in Kharkiv. The same day, a doctor of the German clinic Charite, Lutz Harms, who started to treat the ex-premier, said that Tymoshenko had ended her hunger strike. READ MORE

• Gorshenin Weekly  |  Published on EGF: 17.05.2012  |  External Relations
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Political Outlook for Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt

Key points:

• Morocco’s monarchy seems to have survived the wind of change blowing on Arab countries last year and is currently trying to hold on to its power by allowing reforms that partly reduce its absolute authority.
• The adoption of a new constitution and the victory of moderate and nationalist Islamic parties are signs that mark Morocco’s gradual progress towards the demands of protesters who have taken the streets last year.
• However, civil society is not yet a primary actor in Moroccan politics and a widespread sense of communalism is still missing.
• Tensions are still present in Morocco, due to the unresponsiveness of the central government regarding the high levels of unemployment, structural corruption and deficiencies in welfare and health systems.
• Morocco has been praised by the international community for its counter-terrorism efforts, although major security risks stem from the unresolved situation of West Sahara. High unemployment and persisting poverty, however, continue to ensure fertile grounds for terrorist recruiters.
• New economic deals with the EU are expected to have a positive impact on the Moroccan economy, which is of great interest for foreign direct investors.
READ MORE

• EGF Editorial  |  Published on EGF: 08.05.2012  |  External Relations
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ISSUE #14
04/16/2012
On 10 April 2012, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine (CCU) announced its decision on several provisions of the law on electing MPs. In particular, the court ruled that the law provision allowing candidates to simultaneously run on party lists and in single-seat constituencies was unconstitutional. READ MORE

• Gorshenin Weekly  |  Published on EGF: 24.04.2012  |  External Relations
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