WASHINGTON, DC – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has heightened everyone’s appreciation of global issues and interconnectivity. In addition to geopolitical and defense concerns, there is a renewed focus on the state of international trade. After continuing Donald Trump’s destructive trade policies for more than a year, US President Joe Biden’s administration finally appears to have recognized the importance of strong trade relations. The United States is holding consultations with the European Union to expand cooperation on trade and technology, and with others on issues such as agriculture.
A big opportunity to reverse Trump’s legacy comes in June, when trade ministers from 164 member states and 25 observer countries will meet in Geneva for the 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization. The meeting cannot come soon enough. The world economy desperately needs the WTO to be restored so that it can play the valuable role that it did before the Trump presidency.
It is thanks to the WTO and its predecessor, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, that the open multilateral trading system was so successful for 70 years after World War II. To its great credit, the US led the world in creating the institution and supporting its development. Member states agreed to subject their trade policies to the rule of law, which in turn allowed traders to engage in international exchange with confidence.
CIRSD Hosts Horizons Discussion with Professor Andrey Sushentsov on Russia’s Global Role and the Future of Multipolarity
Belgrade, April 2025 — The Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) hosted a special edition of its acclaimed Horizons Discussions series, featuring an in-depth conversation between CIRSD President Vuk Jeremić and Professor Andrey Sushentsov, Dean of the School of International Relations at MGIMO University and one of Russia’s most influential strategic thinkers.
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Jeremić for China Daily: Collaborations urged amid turbulence
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The Institutionalization of Terrorism: How the West Has Used Terrorism for Geopolitical Gain
An old African proverb says, “When elephants fight, the grass gets trampled.” The post-World War II period set a stage that reflected the established division of the world into two parts: the red, underdeveloped East and the blue, democratic West.
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The Liberal World Order and De-dollarization: Can BRICS Offer a Stable Alternative?
The 17th BRICS Summit, entitled “Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security,” took place in 2024 in Kazan, the capital of Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan. This was the first summit since the organization expanded a few months earlier and the largest in its history.
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