Abstract ▼

Chinese investments abroad have recorded high growth rates in the last decade, but its scope is still small in comparison to those of developed industrial countries. The state plays a key role in its encouragement and support directly and indirectly. Large state corporations are the biggest investors abroad, somewhere investments of Chinese private companies dominate, e.g. in Africa. There is a great geographic dispersion of investment flows, while the highest concentration is in developing countries. The main drivers of investment capital are trade, energy sources, natural resources, infrastructure projects and acquisition of strategic assets. These drivers are often are combined from two or more ones which are mutually supportive..

Abstract ▼

A number of European countries, as well as the United States, Canada and Australia in the second half of the 20th century, received many immigrants from Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic region. This has created a specific situation which did not exist at the time of the formation of these states. At a time when those states were formed the vast majority of the population belong to the Christian political culture. As a result, secular constitutions were created. Because Christian theology can accept the secular principle of organization of the state .Immigrants have brought their cultural and political model. For example, an Islamic political model excludes secularism and demand theocracy. Thus, if the question of eventual transformation of the constitution is posed autochthon population and Muslims can not make a compromise, if each side insists on its model. This means that the multicultural constitution is impossible.

Abstract ▼

In recent years, the Sea of Japan or the East Sea as it is called in South Korea has become the place of territorial dispute. The territorial dispute between South Korea (Republic of Korea) and Japan refers to the question of sovereignty over the Takeshima/Dokdo Islands. This is a preliminary legal question for resolving the issue of demarcation of marine zones between the countries in dispute. The question of delimitation of marine zones is made particularly difficult by the fact that the countries in dispute have taken unilateral legal acts. Although the specific circumstances regarding the resolution of the territorial dispute differ, both countries see them as an opportunity to secure their geostrategic and then economic interests. Therefore, this dispute like other territorial disputes in Southeast Asia (the South and East China Sea) is the cause of instability, which increasingly threatens peace and security in this part of the world. Under certain internal and external political circumstances, most political factors in the countries use this dispute as an instrument to achieve broader support for their governments. Since territorial disputes relating to the question of state sovereignty, which is usually associated with psychological factors (nationalist feelings and dignity of the people) and historical heritage (which is not in a small number of cases coloured by a heavy imperial or colonial past), none of the parties wants to make concessions to the other side indicating that disputes will not be so easy to resolve and overcome peacefully without the infiltration of external political factors. In the study that follows, the author presents an international legal and political analysis of the territorial dispute in the Sea of Japan with explanations on its impact on the regional security.

Abstract ▼

Preserving stability in the wider region of Europe cannot be achieved without the cooperation of the European Union, the Russian Federation and NATO. Dialogue Union with Russia in the field of security is marked by the fact that the EU wants to build its own security and defence system, with a tendency to mainly rely on NATO operations during the planning and military development. Also, the EU is ready to propose a Russia to get involved in that system, to a certain extent. The goal of NATO is to maintain a key role in ensuring stability and security in Europe and the world. At the same time NATO shows a willingness to cooperate closely with the EU and to periodically consult with Russia through certain organs of NATO. Russia, however, insists that the European security should be provided through of its equal cooperation with NATO and the EU. The current Ukrainian crisis showed as a major challenge for European security since the end of the Cold War. It made clear that relations between Russia, the EU and NATO are increasingly characterized by misunderstanding, mistrust and confrontation, which can have very negative consequences for the preservation of peace and security in Europe.

Abstract ▼

War as a method of dispute resolution has been present since ancient times. The consequences of the war affect the civilian population, perhaps even more than members of armed forces. Among civilian victims the war makes the greatest impact on women and children. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to this category of persons who are protected in armed conflicts. The existing international norms and rules clearly indicate that a certain degree of protection is achieved, but in this area of constant improvement is necessary. This paper analyses the existing rules, noting where protection could be improved. The work is divided into two parts. The first relates to the special protection of women in armed conflict, and the other is dedicated to the protection of children. In both parts the attention has been given to the normative solutions in written International Humanitarian Law and international custom law. All four Geneva Conventions of 1949 has been reviewed. Additional protocols to these Conventions have also been a part of the research.

Abstract ▼

The purpose of ex ante merger control is to secure and preserve the competitive market structures by controlling concentrations which might significantly impede effective competition. All concentrations exceeding a certain turnover threshold are subject to mandatory notification under national merger control rules and such transactions shall not be implemented prior to clearance decision. In assessing a concentration, the relevant competition authority must consider the likely effects of the concentration on competition, and if the concentration is expected to be anti-competitive, it must be prohibited. The aim of this article is to explain the difficulties to properly determine the institutional framework in which the competition authority approves or prohibits concentrations. Therefore, the author analyses some of the main principles on which merger control should be based and points out that merger control rules play very important role in achieving effective enforcement of optimal competition policy.

Abstract ▼

The Arab-Israeli conflict even today represents one of the most complex problems facing the international community. The biggest controversy of the problem lies in the conflicting interpretations of the reasons offered by both sides. The way to overcome this impasse, is precisely the way recourse to international institutions. For this reason, the surprising fact is, that one very important decision of The International Court of Justice, it seems, remained unjustly neglected, especially if we take into account the importance of the issues which the Court dealt and the beneficial impact that this decision may have in the process of resolving the conflict in the Middle East. We believe that Advisory Opinion on Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory hides the way to a possible solution of this exhausting conflict. To consider because it comes to a legal analysis of the situation, which was given by the authorities in whose objectivity we supposed not to suspect as we supposed not to doubt on the objectivity of international law. Therefore, we consider it important to once again remind the decision, believing that in this way we can help to better understand the nature of this conflict, but also the reasons which indicate its possible peaceful solution.

Abstract ▼

Regional co-operation in the field of preservation and protection of cultural heritage is one of fundamental values of tolerance and peace among the nations in the region and within maintanenance of national identity. It becomes especially significant at the time of globalisation and proclaimed multiculturalism. At the same time, this also includes the question of (non)achievement of rights and obligations of the state in preserving and protecting cultural heritage. In this way, one\'s own cultural identity is defended, what includes a comprehensive cultural heritage (tangible and non-tangible) beyond every country and the region. Generally, we can define – observe the protection of cultural identity through the establishment of ethnic policy of every state in the region, this including Serbia, too.

Abstract ▼

In contemporary international relations, economic activities are becoming increasingly prioritized in relation to political ones. For Serbia, it is important to have a clear strategy of development that will have significant implications for all economic activities and international economic cooperation, i.e. the process of European integration. In creating the development strategy it is necessary to choose the sectors of the economy on which the future development of the Serbian economy will be based. On the other hand, instead of maximizing profits and due to the creation and strengthening of several relevant groups of stakeholders (managers, employees, customers, the state, etc.) whose long-term interests must be taken into consideration by a company, it is primarily through harmonization of their interests that pluralism and complexity of goals of a contemporary corporate company is achieved. Attaining of the set goals in the radically changed and highly competitive market environment demands to formulate strategies based on a detailed analysis of the macroeconomic and microeconomic environment, resources and other business potentials. It should be noted that there have been identified three phases of competitiveness of a country and these are as follows: factor-driven, efficiency-driven and innovative-driven competitiveness. In its development every country should go through competitiveness based on the supply of factors of production through investment driven competitiveness based on the efficiency of use of available factors of production to innovation driven competitiveness.

Abstract ▼

The history of Montenegro in the 20th and the early 21st century shows that the divisions were very prominent, these including the moment when the Kingdom of Montenegro had been created (after 1918), the period during World War II (1941–1945) as well as the time when its state and legal position was to be resolved. Similar lines of divisions in the Montenegrin society became dominant again during the dissolution of former SFR Yugoslavia (1991–1999) as well as immediately before and after the referendum on the status of the state in 2006 concerning primarily the set of the so-called identity issues. Those issues include the images and contents of Montenegro’s state symbols, the official language (the Montenegrin language since 2007) and the status of the canonically unrecognised Montenegrin Orthodox Church. At the same time, the author points to the disagreements of political actors in Montenegro regarding its membership in the NATO. This prevents the possibility of achieving as broad as possible consensus on the foreign policy identity and orientation of this country. Finally, the author concludes that it is necessary to achieve a broad internal consensus and make a compromise in Montenegro concerning the set of identity issues mentioned above in order to prevent the traditional division in the society.

Abstract ▼

For many years, security studies were dominated by the theories which explained security predominantly by relying on military-political aspects. Under the veil of fear from the constant threat of the outbreak of a direct conflict between the Great Powers, it is often overemphasized undoubtedly great importance of the Great Powers and their impact on security dynamics of different regions, with almost total disregard of local actors and the way they shape the same region. In this regard, Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT) represents a significant step forward in the current international security studies, because it sets up regional subsystems (complex) as the referent object of security. This paper will analyze the security problems Macedonia is faced with within the regional security subcomplex Western Balkans (RSSWB). However, the goal of this research will not only be the identification, description and mapping problems present in this subcomplex, which affect the security of Macedonia, but it will be issued its position within this sub-complex, where the method of scenarios will be used to represent possible paths of movement of Macedonia which will largely define whether it will be considered as a factor of stability or instability in subcomplex Western Balkans. Finnaly, the research will include the sustainability of the idea of the Western Balkans as a permanent regional security subcomplex, given the complexity of the relations of Macedonia with Greece, which is not part of RSSWB.