News from AMO

Invitation

MORNING COFFEE: Czech and Hungarian approaches to China and the role of values in foreign policy

The aim of the meeting is to debate the current relations of the Czech Republic and Hungary with China amidst the broader debates on whether China represent a political and security threat. The debate comes in the time of investment screening mechanisms being adopted or revised by some of the EU countries, more or less openly questioning the nature of investment coming from China, and amidst security warnings against Huawei and ZTE products. In the same time, China continues with its ‘re-eduction campaign‘ in Xinjiang and implements its social credit score policy with increasing speed. The event will put together Czech and Hungarian journalists, foreign policy practitioners and China experts from academia as well as NGO sector to exchange views on China policy of their respective countries and debate the role of values in it. Find more information on Facebook. Working language of the meeting is English. 

What happened in the beginning of 2019?

Agenda for Czech Foreign Policy 2018

Throughout its existence, AMO systematically monitors and analyses Czech foreign policy. Our flagship project is the annual Agenda for Czech Foreign Policy, the twelfth edition (the first was published in 2007) is now available online in English translation. The book provides a comprehensive expert, yet at the same time normative, view of contemporary Czech foreign policy and represents an initiative which is unique within the field.

Apply for the AMO Lectures for Young Asia Scholars (ALYAS) program 2019!

Do you want to better understand crucial issues that will play an important role in Asia’s future prospects? Would you like to get practical experience, learn new skills by working on real-world problems of public and private sector and expand your professional network? Apply for the AMO Lectures for Young Asia Scholars (ALYAS) program 2019! It fosters long-term relationships and cooperation among young professionals, experts and practitioners. Our goal is to prepare the next generation of leaders in the field of Asian affairs. You can be one of them! Find more information here.

NEW POLICY PAPER: Going beyond the anti-refugee rhetoric: a new formula for Czech-Polish relations

Czech-Polish political relations are cordial, Poland is the Czech Republic’s second most important trading partner and mutual infrastructure is gradually improving. Though, as is also the case with the Visegrad Group, a negative attitude towards refugees dominates the countries’ joint political narrative in the EU. The policy paper, written by our Research Director Vít Dostál, first argues that anti-refugee symbolism that unites the Czech Republic and Poland in the EU does not lead to a strengthening of the two countries’ positions in European politics. On the contrary, it could lead either to isolation or a break-up of the Visegrad Group. As any U-turn of Czech or Polish European policy cannot be foreseen, a positive bilateral agenda is identified. The publication of the paper was supported by Czech-Polish Forum.

NEW POLICY PAPER: EU’s Capability Building and Divides within NATO

By deepening the cooperation among member states within the defense and security arena the EU aims to strengthen its strategic autonomy. Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), the Coordinated Annual Review on Defense (CARD), and the European Defence Fund (EDF) should provide a combined effort and incentives to develop European defense capabilities. Policy paper by our Research Fellows Michal Boksa and Jakub Kufcak deals with EU’s capability building and focuses on divides within NATO. The publication of the paper was supported by NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division.