Garcevic in Deference Report on Russian Military Exercises

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An Op-Ed by Amb. Vesko Garcevic, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations at the Frederick S.Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, was recently referenced in a report on recent Russian military exercises, one of the country’s biggest military exercises since the end of the Cold War.

Garcevic’s Op-Ed, entitled Russia’s Big Games Strike Echoes in the Balkans,” was originally published on September 14, 2017 in Balkan InsightThe Op-Ed was referenced in a September 26, 2017 article in Deference Report entitled “The Balkan Echo of Russian Military Exercises.

From the text of the article:

Former Ambassador of Montenegro to NATO, Professor of Practical Diplomacy and International Relations of Boston University Vesko Garcevic believes that through these exercises Russia tried to show the West that it has become stronger and more powerful and that it plans to participate in global issues.

“The exercises were held shortly after the US approved new sanctions against Moscow, and therefore their goal was, among other things, to demonstrate that the EU and the US sanctions don’t work and have not crumbled Moscow’s military potency,” says Garcevic.

According to the expert, the exercises became a signal for the Balkan countries.

“No matter whether it is true or not, the notion of an invincible, mighty, technically and militarily superior Russia traditionally resonates well in ears of many people and politicians in this part of Europe. Thanks to traditionally close historical, religious and cultural ties, which can be described as “Pan-Slavism” or “Slavic brotherhood”, Moscow has successfully been able to maintain its solid position in the region. Russia will continue to exploit loopholes and democratic deficiency that exist in most of the Balkans states in an effort to solidify its gains in the Balkans” says Vesko Garcevic.

During his diplomatic career, Amb. Vesko Garcevic dealt with issues pertinent to European security and NATO for almost 14 years. In 2004, he was posted in Vienna to serve as Ambassador to Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He had been a Montenegro’s Ambassador to NATO from 2010 until 2014 and served as a Montenegro’s National Coordinator for NATO from 2015 until he joined the faculty at the Pardee School.