Greetings,
"The Global Forum of Japan (GFJ) E-Letter" is delivered electronically once every month, free of charge, to readers in the world interested in Japanese thinking on relations of Japan with the rest of the world and other related international affairs by the Global Forum of Japan (GFJ), private membership organization in Japan for policy-oriented international exchanges.
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President, GFJ
"GFJ Commentary of the Month"
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"GFJ Commentary of the Month" presents a monthly publication of views of members of GFJ on relations of Japan with the rest of the world and other related international affairs. The views expressed herein are the author's own and should not be attributed to GFJ.
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Georgia Crisis Reveals Limits of the European Neighborhood Policy
by KOKUBO Yasuyuki
Professor of University of Shizuoka
While the Beijing Olympics was in full swing, the Georgia Crisis broke out. This Crisis has got a potential to emerge as a serious international problem, as it opened up a Pandora's box of minority ethnic issues, which EU has tried so desperately to seal, and created tension between U.S. and Russia.
During the Cold War, former Eastern camp countries sealed off minority ethnic issues by force. When national liberation movements gained momentum with the end of the Cold War, Germany quite naively approved to recognize the independence of Slovenia and Croatia, without building a consensus with other EU member countries. This hasty move of German foreign policy made volatile the situation of the ethnic issues in the former Yugoslavia, thus triggered a series of conflicts in Bosnia and in Kosovo. EU countries had to turn to NATO (namely U.S.) to solve these conflicts in former Yugoslavia.
Since then, EU has conditioned, among others, sealing the ethnic issues in former Eastern camp countries (or protection of the rights of the ethnic minorities, ostensibly speaking) on their accession to EU or provision of development assistance by EU. Eastern countries, badly in need of economic aid from EU, had no choice but to accept that moral condition. Therefore, "carrot dangling" policy towards new accession states of EU was considered quite successful. Besides, EU started in 2003 the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) and has ever since promoted assistance to the neighboring countries for their stabilization and economic recovery.
However, the Georgia Crisis clearly shows that this "carrot dangling" policy has definite limits. Russia, on the other hand, is quite opposed to being treated equally with its neighbors and seeks another framework in its relations with EU. It is the sincere hope of the countries with minority ethnic issues to avoid the visits of the apparition called self-determination. I think Japan is morally obliged to join in international discussions over whether the rights of the ethnic minorities are duly protected, and engage proactively in building a framework for the protection of them, instead of merely advocating "peace-addicted self-determination."
(This is the English translation of an article which originally appeared on the BBS "Giron-Hyakushutsu" of GFJ on 22 August, 2008, and was posted on "GFJ Commentary" on 15 October, 2008.)
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For more views and opinions in the backnumber of "GFJ Commentary," the list of which for the past six months is as follows, please refer to:
http://www.gfj.jp/eng/commentary/backnumber.html
No.17 Japan's 'Virtue' and the Abduction Issue
by YAMAUCHI Masayuki, Professor of The University of Tokyo
(30 September 2008)
No.16 On Japan's Use of Space for Defense Purposes
by KINOSHITA Hiroo, Advisor of National Small Business & Information Promotion Center
(23 August 2008)
No.15 For the Agriculture with Security, Safety, Low Price and Stability
by IWAKUNI Tetsundo, Member of the House of Representatives (Democratic Party of Japan)
(24 July 2008)
No.14 Promote Active Diplomacy in the Arctic Circle
by KAWAI Masao, Visiting Professor of Hakuoh University
(20 June 2008)
No.13 Japan Forlorn in the World
by MORI Toshimitsu, Adviser to a financial corporation
(16 May 2008)
No.12 New Movement of the International Whaling Commission
by OKAWARA Yoshio, Chairman of the Global Forum of Japan
(23 April 2008)
"GFJ Updates"
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"GFJ Updates" introduces to you latest events, announcements and/or publications of GFJ.
Publication
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The Global Forum of Japan (GFJ), under the co-sponsorship with ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies (ASEAN-ISIS), organized "THE 7th JAPAN-ASEAN DIALOGUE: Prospect of Japan-ASEAN Partnership after the Second Joint Statement" in Tokyo on 25 September, 2008.
For the full text of the "Report of The Seventh JAPAN-ASEAN DIALOGUE," please refer to: http://www.gfj.jp/eng/dialogue/30/report.pdf
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