By Dr David Grigorian.

Dr David Grigorian, Senior Economist at the International Monetary Fund's Monetary and Capital Markets Department and a co-founder of Policy Forum Armenia, gives an in-depth analysis of Armenia's economic development from independence and to the present day. He argues that better governance is crucial to efforts to reform the economy, tackle public debt and improve long-term growth prospects.

Download FPC Briefing: Armenia's Economy since Independence (390 kilobyte PDF)

By Alexander Jackson.

FPC Research Associate Alex Jackson gives us his analysis of the new alliance between billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili and Western-feted opposition leader Irakli Alasania, that has been shaking up Georgian politics in recent weeks.

Download FPC Briefing: Comrades in arms, or a marriage of convenience (320 kilobyte PDF)

By Catherine Owen.

Russia specialist Catherine Owen gives the FPC her take on unfolding political events in Russia, following the December 4th Duma elections. She examines the voting problems and the response of both the ruling elite and nascent opposition.

Download the article (330 kilobyte PDF)

Nazenin Ansari (Ed.), Tahirih Danesh (Ed.)

May 2011

Download Iran Human Rights Review: Access to Information (950 kilobyte PDF)

The Iran Human Rights Review, edited by Nazenin Ansari and Tahirih Danesh, is a new Foreign Policy Centre project that seeks to be an important resource for policy makers and activists by combining information and opinion with analysis and recommendations for action.

This new edition of the Review focuses on the emergence of access to information as a pivotal element in promoting and protecting the Iranian human rights movement. It contains opinion pieces and detailed articles from a wide range of experts and activists with a focus on promoting a culture of human rights in Iran and the region. Contributors include: Dame Ann Leslie, Nasrin Alavi, Ramin Asgard, Shahriar Ahy, Negar Esfandiari, Claudia Mendoza, Saba Farzan, Nazanine Moshiri, Rossi Qajar, Mojtaba Saminejad, Ali Sheikholeslami, Meir Javedanfar, Potkin Azarmehr, Mariam Memarsadeghi.

Adam Hug

April 2011 Hard copy: £4.95, plus £1 p+p.

Download Kazakhstan at a Crossroads (710 kilobyte PDF)

To coincide with the early Presidential election of April 3rd 2011, the Foreign Policy Centre has produced its Kazakhstan at Crossroads publication, adapted and updated from three previous Foreign Policy Centre reports.

Kazakhstan at a Crossroads gives a clear overview of Kazakhstan's political, human rights and economic challenges, along with an assessment of its developing role in the world. After the missed opportunity of last year's OSCE Chairmanship the publication argues that if Kazakhstan wants to further develop a regional and global leadership role, the international community must insist that President Nazarbayev makes significant political reforms to improve its human rights and governance.

• Kazakhstan at a Crossroads project launch event

Adam Hug (Ed.)

February 2011 Hard copy: £4.95 , plus £1 p+p.

Download Spotlight on Armenia (1.34 megabyte PDF)

Spotlight on Armenia provides a clear analysis of the major challenges Armenia faces regarding democratic development, rule of law, media freedom, corruption and other human rights issues, while examining the impact of its international relationships on domestic politics. It argues for greater UK, EU and Western engagement in Armenia but that increased incentives must be matched by stronger pressure for reform.

Edited by Adam Hug (Foreign Policy Centre) the pamphlet contains contributions from leading Armenia experts including: The Caucasus Research Resource Centers, Tsira Chanturia (Penal Reform International), Gevorg Ter-Gabrielyan (Eurasia Partnership Foundation), Narine Gasparyan (American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative), Richard Giragosian (Armenian Center for National and International Studies), Alexander Iskandaryan (Caucasus Institute), Dr Elisabeth Robson (East-West Insight), Vladimir Shkolnikov, Irina Urumova, Anna Walker (Control Risks) and Dr Mikael Zolyan (Brusov University).

• Spotlight on Armenia Washington Event
• Spotlight on Armenia London Event
• Spotlight on Armenia Brussels Event

DATE: Monday 10th October 2011

TIME: 7.00-9.00pm

VENUE: Committee Room 6, House of Commons, SW1A 0AA 

(please use Cromwell Green Visitors Entrance, see map attached)

This event is now full

Speakers:

• Lord Alderdice, former Leader Alliance Party
• Jonathan Fryer, SOAS
• Firdevs Robinson, formerly BBC World Service

Chair: Adam Hug, Policy Director, Foreign Policy Centre

Introduction: Nick De Bois MP, Enfield North 

The Centre for Turkey Studies and Development (CTSD) and the Foreign Policy Centre (FPC) are please to host a Westminster seminar to discuss the current political situation in Turkey at the start of the AKP third term. It will examine both the progress Turkey has made in recent years and the challenges it still faces, particularly on media freedom and minority rights. With plans to change the Turkish Constitution high up the political agenda it is an important time for a UK audience to examine what can be done both in Turkey and abroad to strengthen the process of democratisation and political reform in this growing global power.

Event is free and open to all. For more information please contact Ibrahim Dogus of CTSD on 02083412021

If you would like to attend, please RSVP by email to:

events@fpc.org.uk

For Charlie Beckett's (Director, POLIS) speech notes from this event, please click on the link below:

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/polis/2011/09/18/rethinking-democracy-and-development-what-role-for-media-and-technology-fpc-panel-at-lib-dem-conference-ldconf

Date: Thursday 23 June, 3pm-5pm,

Venue: European Policy Centre, Résidence Palace, 155 rue de la Loi, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium

As part of the FPC's global series of events following the launch of the recent Spotlight on Armenia publication, we are delighted to be able to partner with the European Policy Centre, to hold a seminar in the Brussels. The EPC and OSI Spotlight on Armenia event will debate the major challenges Armenia faces regarding democratic development, rule of law, media freedom, corruption and other human rights issues, while examining the impact of its international relationships on domestic politics.

Speakers:

• Peter Semneby, Former EU Special Representative to the South Caucasus(tbc)
• Adam Hug, Policy Director, Foreign Policy Centre
• Jacqui Hale, Senior Policy Analyst - EU External Relations, Open Society Institute-Brussels
• Paruyr Hovhannisyan, European Friends of Armenia (EuFoA)

Chair: Amanda Paul, Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre

To RSVP please email: v.belmega@epc.eu