Thailand is roughly the size of France (200,000 sq. miles). With a population of 67 million Thailand has managed to transform its economy from one that was previously agriculture-based to one of the most diverse in the region. As well as agriculture, major industries include food processing, cement, integrated circuits, automotive parts and assembly, petroleum products, textiles, footwear, toys, furniture, synthetic fibre and tourism. The country has a well developed infrastructure, a free enterprise economy and generally pro-investment policies.

Sanctions and retaliation are obviously a negative sum game. If countries stop their cooperation in certain areas, both sides lose. Sanctions are part of a political game of escalation in which both sides signal how much value they put on an issue.

The EU has found it hard to find a cohesive position towards Russia. Nevertheless, the EU sanctions list now affect 87 people and 20 organisations, all deemed to be directly linked to the destabilisation of eastern Ukraine. The EU is also due to decide next week on the first significant financial sanctions to be imposed

A number of longstanding consulting firms and senior practitioners in Australia have come together to establish a professional government relations industry association that will promote ethical standards, greater transparency and a binding code of conduct which will apply to all members.

The newly formed Australian Professional Government Relations Association (APGRA) came into effect on 1st July 2014 and aims to:

Ukraine's newly-elected authorities should take into account the interests of all citizens of the country. Ukraine will never cease to be a bridge between Europe and Russia. The ideal solution for Ukraine, like every informed observer has already pointed out, is a federalist Ukraine with strong autonomous regions. Each region would have jurisdiction over its economy, finances, culture, language, and education, and external economic and cultural connections with neighboring countries or regions.