No 2 (2024)

This paper analyses the participation of the Republic of India, as a significant global power, in the South China Sea conflict. So far, the internationalisation of the latter continues, having reached far beyond the framework of the relationships solely between the contenders. The author traces India’s policy on the issue of the South China Sea throughout Narendra Modi’s premiership (from 2014 to current stage) and reminds of India’s earlier activities in this direction as well. The key features of Indian participation in the conflict are displayed: indirect support to China’s opponents in Southeast Asia by means of increasing defence cooperation with them; upgrading the Navy presence in the South China Sea to the level of being nearly permanent; more open and straightforward rhetoric of the official statements; and developing partnerships with the USA and Quad as a potential tool for China’s containment. India’s interests in the South China Sea are defined as serious and long-term, taking into account the fact that India does not follow the USA or Quad, but behaves as an independent player, with its own strategy and justifications, based on fundamental economic and security objectives.

The article briefly examines the performance of the main South African political parties such as the African National Congress, the Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters on the eve of the general elections in 2024. To assess the situation, the data from think-tanks and NGO is also used. This paper highlights some issues that convey the complexity of the internal environment in the run-up to the event, such as the emergence of the Multi-Party Charter and other political players. Despite the challenges, the African National Congress continues to be the only party with “moral baggage” for voters from all population groups. In the emerging electoral race, it is interesting to observe how the “new” and “old” political forces strategize to maximize their votes from different communities in South Africa, especially among the “Coloured” community. This piece describes the emergence of new political organizations that are aimed at mobilising voters from the “Coloured” community, first and foremost in the Western Cape Province.

The article is devoted to identifying long-term (2011–2021) tendencies of the world energy development. “Clean” energy provides long-term sources of energy with low carbon emissions, which encourages countries to expand the use of these sources of energy. The study identified three tendencies. Firstly, the share of hydrocarbons in energy consumption (oil and refined products, coal, natural gas) is decreasing. Fossil fuels are being replaced by low-carbon alternatives; secondly, investment in new renewable energy capacity is increasing to fulfill the climate commitments and achieve the goals of greenhouse gas emitting countries; Finally, there is growing demand for “clean” sources from China and South Asia. The problem of concentrated investment in renewable energy sources in developed countries and China aggravates the problem of access to energy sources by developing countries. The use of technologies that promote development of “clean” energy sources is expanding. There are spot markets, auctions and tenders, CCS technologies, nuclear and hydrogen energy, and corporate agreements.

The article deals with topical issues of countering terrorism in the Central African region in the context of the foreign policy activities of France and Russia. Based on the trends in the development of the military-political situation in Central Africa, the problems of implementing France’s foreign policy as a country focused on asserting its geopolitical dominance in the region are considered. The lack of trust in Western states on the part of the national governments of Central Africa is seen as a prerequisite for strengthening Russia’s presence in the region as a significant actor in the anti-terrorist struggle. Russia’s foreign policy is to facilitate mediation and conflict resolution, as well as to reach formal agreements on training and consulting in the field of security. Each of these efforts strengthens Russia’s security-related interests and provides African countries with opportunities to diversify their security partnerships in order to counter the growing threats of terrorism.

In October, 2023, the Institute for African Studies (Russian Academy of Sciences) hosted the All-Russian Scientific Conference with international participation “Colonialism, Neocolonialism, Decolonization: Research Experience and Modern Discourse”. About 50 researchers from Russia, Ghana, Tanzania and Cameroon participated in a scientific event organized by the Center for History and Cultural Anthropology and the Center for Southern Africa Studies of the Institute for African Studies. At the conference, attendees reflected on the complex histories of colonialism, neocolonialism, and decolonization. They also scrutinized current methods of neocolonial manipulation and delved into the discourse surrounding the fight against neocolonial ideas and actions. During the forum, the participants engaged in conversations surrounding the topics of political and legal neocolonialism, digital imperialism, anti-colonial movements, historical memory, historiography, and the cultural, spiritual, and mental liberation from colonial dependence. The diverse range of topics and unique research methods sparked dynamic and beneficial conversations that broadened participants’ knowledge of colonial discourses and counter-discourses, while also revealing potential avenues for future research. A key result of the conference ought to be the release of a book containing research papers.

The paper aims to provide an analysis of the social issues of the novel “The Terrible Tehran” by M.Moshfeq Kazemi, which is the first example of a social-realistic novel in the modern Persian prose. The novel reflected the main social problems of Iranian society after the constitutional revolution at the beginning of the 20th century. The author is most interested in the women’s issue in a patriarchal society and uneducated social environment living according to old canons. Starting to analyze social issues in the novel “The Terrible Tehran,” we come to the conclusion that political and social transformations in Iran during the constitutional revolution and after it changed society’s attitude to such issues as the position of women in society, her rights and freedoms. It should be noted that the author of this novel has a shallow approach to social problems and he does not offer solutions to the problems existing in society.

Review of the book: Pogadaev V.A. History of Indonesia in Faces (Moscow, 2023). 72 p., ill. (In Russ.). ISBN 978-5-907620-22-3