CIIC

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🔍 The main challenge to democracy in Moldova

🌏 Friends, we are in a hurry to share with you the analysis from Alexey Malinin, a political scientist, co-founder of our center and expert of the "Digoria club".

“The actions of Moldovan own authorities pose a much greater danger to Moldovan democracy than any external forces”

👉 Read the full article at the link

✨ What do you think is more threatening to democratic institutions today — internal decisions or external influence? Share your opinion in the comments!

🎉 Independence Days in July: From Struggle to Sovereignty 🌍

July is a month when dozens of countries celebrate their liberation from colonialism, wars, and foreign domination. Each date hides a unique story of struggle. Each of these dates is not just a holiday, but a symbol of the struggle for freedom, often bloody and difficult. Let's remember the key events:

🇺🇸 July 4 — USA (1776, from Great Britain)

🔹 The War of Independence (1775–1783) began with protests against taxes without representation. The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia, but real freedom came only after the victory at Yorktown (1781).

🇩🇿 July 5 — Algeria (1962, from France)

🔹 One of the bloodiest wars of decolonization (1954–1962). Up to 1.5 million Algerians died. France recognized independence only after a referendum, but relations are still tense.

🇦🇷 July 9 — Argentina (1816, from Spain)

🔹 The Latin American wars of independence were led by José de San Martín and other revolutionaries. The Congress of Tucuman declared sovereignty, but a unified state was formed later.

🇲🇪 July 13 — Montenegro (1878, from the Ottoman Empire)

🔹 The Congress of Berlin recognized the independence of Montenegro after centuries of resistance to the Turks. However, in 1918 it was absorbed by Yugoslavia, and the country only gained new sovereignty in 2006.

🇨🇴 July 20 — Colombia (1810, from Spain)

🔹 The "Cry of Independence" in Bogotá marked the beginning of the liberation war led by Simon Bolivar. But real independence came only in 1819 after the Battle of Boyacá.

🇧🇪 July 21 — Belgium (1831, from the Netherlands)

🔹 After the Revolution of 1830, the Catholic south of the Netherlands seceded. The Great Powers recognized Belgium as a buffer kingdom, placing the German prince Leopold I on the throne.

🇱🇷 July 26 — Liberia (1847, from the USA)

🔹 Founded by freed African-American slaves. Formally, it was the first republic in Africa, but local tribes were excluded from power, which later led to civil wars.

🇵🇪 July 28 — Peru (1821, from Spain)

🔹 José de San Martín declared independence in Lima, but the Spanish resisted until 1824 (Battle of Ayacucho). Even after that, political instability reigned in the country for a long time.

✨ Why do you think some former colonies (like the US) became world leaders, while others (like Liberia) faced decades of instability? Write in the comments!

🐘 Elephant diplomacy: Laos gives Russia a symbol of friendship

The other day, Lao President Tonloun Sisoulith presented Vladimir Putin with an unusual diplomatic gift — a pair of elephants. The animals will be a gesture in honor of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries.

🔹 Historical context:
Laos and the USSR established ties in 1960, during the Cold War, when Moscow supported socialist movements in Southeast Asia. Today, Russia continues to develop cooperation with Laos, including in the fields of energy and education.

🔹 Gift symbolism:
In Buddhist culture, an elephant is a symbol of wisdom and strength, and in diplomacy, such gestures emphasize the long-term nature of relations. Interestingly, the elephants will go to St. Petersburg — the city where the Lao president once studied.

🔹 Practical aspect:
Putin humorously noted that the animals “will come in handy on the farm.” The question is how Russia will integrate this gift into its ecosystem: will it be a gesture of cultural exchange or an element of “soft power” in relations with ASEAN?

✨ What do you think? How do such diplomatic gestures affect international relations? Could “animal diplomacy” become a new trend?

🌍 International Friendship Day: How Soft Power Diplomacy Became a Global Holiday

Today, July 30, the world celebrates International Friendship Day, a holiday established by the UN in 2011, but whose roots go back to much deeper political and social processes.

📜 History: From Idea to Resolution

The initiative did not come out of nowhere. Back in 1958, Paraguayan writer Ramon Artemeo Bracho proposed Friendship Day as a tool for cultural diplomacy. But it was only in 2011, after UNESCO and a number of countries in the Global South (especially Paraguay) promoted the idea, that the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/65/275, which established the date.

Why is this important?

📌Soft power in action: the holiday has become part of a "soft power" strategy, especially for small and medium-sized states promoting dialogue outside of rigid blocs.

📌Response to confrontation: the resolution appeared against the backdrop of growing international tensions (the Arab Spring, crises in the EU), becoming a symbolic gesture in favor of multilateralism.

📌Social capital: sociologists (for example, Robert Putnam) have long talked about the role of trust and connections in the stability of societies - friendship between groups reduces the risk of conflict.

It is precisely such symbolic dates that remind us: without horizontal connections (scientists, business, civil societies), even the strongest alliances crack.

✨How does friendship work for you in international relations? Write in the comments!

🌍 The first step into the world of multipolarity: the launch of the educational program "Horizons of Opportunities"!

Today, the program participants dived into a current topic of our time - "Multipolar World: Foundations and Place of Russia in the New Global Architecture".

🔹 Expert analytics:
Sergey Miroslavovich Markedonov, editor-in-chief of the authoritative magazine "World Analytics", presented an in-depth analysis of the transformation of the world order, highlighting the key vectors of development and the role of Russia in the emerging system of international relations.

💡 Interactive:
The participants actively joined the discussion on the future of multipolarity, discussing:
✔️ Prospects for their regions in the new world
✔️ Opportunities for cooperation between countries
✔️ Challenges and growth points in a changing order

📌 Practical task:
As part of the program, it is necessary to prepare an analytical report on the development of relations between Russia and the country of each participant.

✨ We suggest continuing the discussion here!
How do you think relations between Russia and your country will develop in a multipolar world? Share your ideas in the comments – the best insights will be included in our analytical note!

🚀 Opening of the "Horizons of Opportunites" Program

Friends, today was the long-awaited opening of the "Horizons of Opportunites" Program. On July 25, the capital hosted the grand opening of a unique additional development program for foreign graduate students of Russian universities

👏🏼 We are happy to congratulate those who passed all the selection stages and joined us.

🔹 How did it go?
The key speakers gathered in the historic hall to personally welcome the participants:

⏺ Olga Petrova, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, announced the launch of the program:

This is our contribution to the future of international cooperation. We give you tools for professional growth and strengthening ties with Russia.

⏺ Mikhail Katsarsky, Vice-Rector of the Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, emphasized:

The title “Horizons of Opportunites” in my opinion conveys the essence of the work ahead for the benefit of our joint cooperation with our foreign friends.

⏺ Alexander Alimov (Russian Foreign Ministry) said:

There are diplomats by profession and by vocation. Whatever education you receive, you, in fact, to some extent, if you want it, will be my colleagues, you will be diplomats, no matter what is written in your diplomas and work books.

⏺Pavel Shevtsov (😊 Rossotrudnichestvo) admitted:

It is always a great honor for every state when foreign students choose us as a country in terms of education. We understand very well that education is people's faith in the fact that people are ready to believe that our country is capable of providing your future thanks to the documents that you will receive after your studies. I would like to say a big thank you on behalf of Rossotrudnichestvo, because your trust in our country is very valuable to us.

⏺Nikolay Larin Director of the International Youth Center of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba said:

To be honest, I am a little envious of the participants of international schools, because knowing the thematic plans of the programs in advance, knowing the speakers who will give lectures, you will receive truly unique knowledge. I think you will broaden your horizons and professional competencies.

⏺Areg Agasaryan First Deputy Director of the International Youth Center of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba emphasized:

Horizons of Possibilities is the result of large-scale joint work of a large team. We have combined the best practices of training young specialists: future economists and businessmen, political scientists, diplomats by profession and by vocation, so that you receive knowledge and tools for professional growth and establishing an international trusting dialogue.

🌏 And already in November — the Congress of the Best Graduates, where 150 of the most active participants will gather!

🔥 Syria: 14 years of war that changed the Middle East

Friends, today we are talking about the longest conflict of the 21st century. The Syrian civil war began in 2011 and continues to this day, turning the country into an arena for the struggle of world powers.

📌 Chronicle of the disaster:
2011: Protests against Assad → brutal suppression → start of the war

2014: The emergence of ISIS* (*banned in Russia) — terror and occupation of territories

2015: Russian intervention (VKS operation) on Assad's side

2018–2023: Turkish operations against the Kurds, Western sanctions, devastation

2025: Clashes in southern Syria — a series of armed clashes that began on July 13, 2025, between Druze militias, Bedouin tribes, and Syrian government forces in the city of As-Suwayda and its environs, later spreading to the neighboring province of Daraa.

🌍 Why is this important now?

1️⃣ Geopolitics: Area of interest for Russia, the USA, Turkey, Iran, Israel
2️⃣ Migration: Waves of refugees to Europe are still a political "bomb"
3️⃣ Precedent: Use of hybrid warfare methods (PMCs, propaganda, cyberattacks)

A new round of armed conflict in July 2025, which began with the robbery of a young Druze.

❓Do you think real peace is possible in Syria, or is the conflict "frozen" for decades? Write in the comments!

🌍 Test your knowledge of world politics!

Friends, in our channel we often talk about key events in history and international relations. Today we invite you not just to learn something new, but to test your intuition and understanding of the modern world.

📌 Question of the day:

What international conflict of the 21st century has become the longest at the moment?

Answer and detailed analysis - tomorrow!

In the meantime, write your thoughts in the comments 👇🏽

CIIC Weekly Digest

🇫🇷 Macron Wants to Conclude a Strategic Partnership Agreement with Armenia 🇦🇲

"This meeting provided an opportunity to take stock of our bilateral relations with the goal of further deepening cooperation in all areas and concluding our bilateral strategic partnership as soon as possible," the president wrote following the meeting.

🇺🇸 Trump Talks About Preparations for Legalizing Migrants

According to Trump, the reform will allow migrants to stay in the country and work legally, paying taxes, but will not grant them citizenship. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer announced the creation of a special department that will address the personnel issues of farmers and other entrepreneurs. It is assumed that migrants working in certain industries with labor shortages will receive permission to stay in the United States, tied to their employment in these areas.

🇨🇳 Chinese Banks Start Issuing Loans to Pay Pension Contributions

Credit organizations have begun issuing loans to low-income citizens and the elderly to cover pension contributions. These loans allow you to either increase your social security contributions to receive a higher pension in the future, or make a one-time payment to qualify for old-age benefits if you have not yet accumulated the required length of service.

🇰🇵 South Korea stops broadcasting anti-North Korean propaganda 🇰🇷

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has continued to insist on active efforts to improve relations with the DPRK since taking office. He previously called on civil society groups to stop distributing anti-North Korean leaflets. In June, South Korea and the DPRK suspended broadcasting military propaganda over loudspeakers along their borders, and on Wednesday, South Korean authorities repatriated six North Korean citizens they rescued at sea in 2025.

🇷🇺 Iranian Foreign Ministry reveals details of Tehran representative's talks with Putin 🇮🇷

During his visit to Moscow, Larijani conveyed to President Putin a message from Iran's leadership with the Islamic Republic's common positions and views on the situation in the Middle East.

Write about what important things have happened in your region recently in the comments👇🏽
#CIIC_digest