Brookings Institution: "What are measures to prevent a new Cold War?"

The US analytical center the Brookings Institution wrote about the possibility of a new Cold War and the measures to be taken to prevent it. The analysts of the Research Center believe that now is a critical moment in relations between Russia and the United States. The civil war in Ukraine, the nuclear deal with Iran, the Syrian conflict, all, on one hand, open up the possibilities for cooperation between the two countries, but a number of decisions to find a way out of the political impasse should be made.

In order to jointly confront the threat of global terrorism it is necessary, first of all, to update the framework of European security and solve the most complex conflicts within the borders of the European Community, which in turn affect the attitude to Russia. However, achieving such a goal can only be done through changes in the status quo of the Western powers.

The principles of NATO as an international supervisory body should be supplemented and the powers of Russia expanded, as Moscow has all the possibilities to consolidate the international community to combat terrorism. If the West will be able to go on this kind of assignment, then this should be done as soon as possible, as the significant strengthening of the position of ISIS shows that any delay plays into the hands of the terrorist organization.

Of course, the US leadership is afraid of the growing influence of Russia in the world, but the global and regional problems of today are so deep that there can only be a joint decision. If the US and the EU decide to join the efforts with Russia, then there is an opportunity to avoid a next round of the Cold War and restore the geopolitical balance in the world.

The international publication Christian Science Monitor wrote about the prospects awaiting Iran in the near future. The Iranian Republic is open for business, and the agreement on its nuclear program signed in June makes the country attractive for foreign investment. There is every opportunity for the state with an 80-million population and rich deposits of gas and oil to receive a boost in economic development.

However, not everything is so simple. According to the experts, it will be difficult for investment to enter the country because of the US sanctions on terrorism and human rights, which continue to operate and can cause  significant penalties for Iran. Iranian officials declare that the Republic is ready to accept foreign companies immediately after the lifting of economic sanctions, which should happen in the next year. Despite the agreement, the United States still retains the possibility of resuming all the restrictions against Iran in case of infringement of certain points of the agreement, and this fact makes European investors extremely cautious in cooperation with Iran.

The risks are great, however, and the stakes are also high. The economic situation in Europe is such that it is forced to seek new financial opportunities, and Iran, in turn, seeks to return to the world market. This positive development is only possible in case of the weakening of the US influence in Europe and the Middle East region.