Dr. Stephen J. Blank is Senior Fellow at Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia Program. He has published over 900 articles and monographs on Soviet/Russian, U.S., Asian, and European military and foreign policies, testified frequently before Congress on Russia, China, and Central Asia, consulted for the Central Intelligence Agency, major think tanks and foundations, chaired major international conferences in the U.S. and in Florence; Prague; and London, and has been a commentator on foreign affairs in the media in the U.S. and abroad. He has also advised major corporations on investing in Russia and is a consultant for the Gerson Lehrmann Group.
Stephen has published or edited 15 books, most recently Russo-Chinese Energy Relations: Politics in Command (London: Global Markets Briefing, 2006). He has also published Natural Allies? Regional Security in Asia and Prospects for Indo-American Strategic Cooperation (Carlisle, PA: Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, 2005). He is currently completing a book entitled Light From the East: Russia’s Quest for Great Power Status in Asia to be published in 2014 by Ashgate. Dr. Blank is also the author of The Sorcerer as Apprentice: Stalin’s Commissariat of Nationalities (Greenwood, 1994); and the co-editor of The Soviet Military and the Future (Greenwood, 1992).
Bolstering US, Japan, and Gulf Cooperation in the High Tech Field
In recent years, both Washington and the Middle East have been looking eastward. The United States has been executing its own “pivot to Asia,” seeking to strengthen alliances and manage competition in the Indo-Pacific, while many Middle Eastern states are simultaneously deepening their economic and strategic ties with Asian partners. This dual pivot is creating new intersections for US–Japan cooperation. The discussion featured Ambassador Barbara Leaf, Mohammed Soliman and Amane Kobayashi, and was moderated by Ken Pollack. Drawing on their experience, the speakers examined how Japanese, American, and Gulf public and private initiatives can be integrated to create more dynamic, cutting-edge economies, symbiotic diplomatic relationships, and stronger mutual security ties.
