International Relations

The visit of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to Moscow and his meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on October 15, 2025, generated widespread discussion and debate about its underlying motives and political implications. The timing was particularly significant, coming at a critical geopolitical juncture for both Syria and the wider region. The visit coincided with an accelerating Arab and…

The visit of Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani to Beirut in October 2025 marked a pivotal political moment in the trajectory of relations between the two countries. It was not a conventional diplomatic visit; rather, it represented the first practical test of the evolving relationship between the “new Syria” and Lebanon after two decades of transformation and discontinuity. The visit…

Introduction Japan imports approximately 90% of its crude oil from the Middle East[1] so that it is tremendously significant for Japan to ensure peace and stability in this area, which lays the foundation for international order and directly connects to national security the world over. In response to the 2015 Terrorist Incident regarding the Murder of Japanese nationals and Jordanian…

The Russian invasion of Ukraine had created various crises on the international stage, particular in energy prices, food supply chains, and inflation. These events made many countries reconsider the strategic importance of the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf. In a virtual roundtable hosted by the Politics and Society Institute in coordination with Friedrich Ebert-Stiftung, experts from the Arab World…