NEWTIMES

Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev visited Azerbaijan immediately after John Bolton`s tour of Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus and Poland. For experts, the visit came as a surprise as much as the US Security Adviser` s trip. Interestingly, Patrushev visited Armenia in August. Experts believe it`s not a coincidence because senior security officials of two superpowers, which are at loggerheads over geopolitical influence in Eurasia, visited two geopolitically volatile regions. What they came with? Both officials affirmed their countries` commitment to the issue of security. But what does really lie behind these statements? In particular, which issues did dominate Patrushev`s agenda?

For several years, experts have been point out growing negative tendencies within the European Union. Some even hint at the possible collapse of the organization. Brexit is frequently recalled in this context, with experts believing that it will encourage other countries to leave the organization. Against this background, the preparation of an optimistic strategic agenda on the future of the EU is of special interest. The agenda encompasses the organization`s development priorities until 2024. Those who drafted the agenda believe that the organization will develop in specific areas. But whether this will happen or not remains a question. What adds interest to the agenda is that apart from EU member states it also highlights some points relating to non-member states that cooperate with the organization.

American nonprofit global policy think tank the RAND Corporation has published a new research, analyzing what the United States should do to unbalance Russia. Authors of the research boast a diverse range of professional and educational experiences. The research therefore caused great interest. Russian experts are analyzing the proposals featured in the research. The geopolitical matters involving four components draw particular attention. The research mentions the South Caucasus among other issues. The American side seems to be trying to involve the South Caucasus countries in the U.S-Russia standoff. With this in mind, the geopolitical aspects of the RAND Corporation`s research need to be analyzed.

The 70th anniversary of NATO was solemnly celebrated in Washington. Celebrations took place against a background of controversial statements. Disagreements among the member states have led to a series of events, which prompted experts and analysts to make forecasts, including on the state of U.S.-Turkey relations. But for some reason one point is disregarded – the United States is now at loggerheads with NATO members. Washington`s stance forced France and Germany to come up with an initiative to form a single European army. In this context, Washington`s motive for unfounded claims against Ankara seems understandable. On the other hand, the role of the Russian factor should not be downplayed. In this article, we will focus on several important aspects of the geopolitical relations among superpowers in the context of the 70th anniversary of the North Atlantic Alliance.

Meetings between the high military leadership of NATO and Russia in Baku where they discuss global security issues are becoming a regular occasion. NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe Curtis Scaparrotti and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov came together in Baku again, which was met normally. The two generals discussed global military developments. Russia expressed concern over NATO`s deploying its military contingents near its borders. They also exchanged views over the military and political situation in Ukraine, the Balkans and the Middle East. Experts analyze political, geopolitical and military reasons behind the decision to hold the meeting in the capital of Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev gave the best explanation. So we would like to give an insight into the geopolitical importance of the Baku meeting in the context of the President`s assessment.

The problems faced by the European Union in the past few years encouraged the emergence of several scenarios for the bloc`s future. Experts give different forecasts, with many of them being pessimistic. Leaders of the 27 states who gathered in Rome to celebrate the European Union`s 60th anniversary signed the Rome Declaration. The document features a number of interesting points relating to the future of the organization. A deeper look at the declaration reveals that the EU is, in fact, on the verge of new transformations. But the main point here is that there is considerable uncertainty about the essence of these changes. The reason is that the European Union is now facing serious problems.

The issue of participation of our head of state at the summit dedicated to nuclear security was finally brought to a close.

Advances in science and technology contribute to progress for the humankind on many issues. In general, however, this factor is also manifested in the emergence of new threats. In particular, we witness the accomplishments in the information technology field used for malign purposes. Experts already use the new term – cyberwarfare. This phenomenon refers to disabling of certain assets using virtual means, implying new level and scale of the information warfare. It is no secret that this factor constitutes a threat to the entire world. Therefore, we believe that is it the right moment to give it a profound thought.

The term cyberspace is believed to have been first introduced by William Gibson in his roman titled "Burning Chrome" (1984). In the modern sense, the cyberspace defines an open environment used by the computers and computer memories. According to the French philosopher Pierre Levy, cyberspace is a smooth, distinctively precise and interactive space that can be processed virtually, in real time. This space enables reception, transmission, modeling and registration of the information.

Technological advances in cyberspace, an area where countries have started to compete in a manner similar to other domains (e.g., land, sea, air and space) as well as a growing dependence on digital networks have compelled world powers to develop their capabilities in this domain as well. In the 21st century, cyberspace has become a decisive arena for modern warfare and ''cyber influence is an ongoing source of power in the international security arena.'' At the same time, a growing number of Internet users and the increased reliance of economic and social systems on networking have created more direct threats to countries. This essay highlights major current problems in this sphere and proposes the UN's potential role in maintaining international peace and security in cyber domain.