"Rival Power: Russia's Challenge to the West in the Balkans" with Dimitar Bechev (BALKAN CIRCLE series)

The Balkan Circle is a weekly seminar (during the academic year) which features lectures, presentations, exhibits, or open interactive dialogues that focus on any (and all) aspects of historical, political, economic, social and cultural phenomena in the (so-called) Balkans. The seminar is free and open to the public and will be held every Friday from 12:00 pm to 1:15 pm online. Visit https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/slavic/events/balkan-circle.php for more information. ABOUT THE BALKAN CIRCLE SPECIAL GUEST Dimitar Bechev Dimitar Bechev is the director of the European Policy Institute, a think-tank based in Sofia, Bulgaria. Previously, he held research fellowships at Harvard University, University of Oxford and the London School of Economics, and headed the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). Dr. Bechev has written extensively on EU’s external relations, the politics and modern history of Turkey and the Balkans, and Russia’s foreign policy. His book Rival Power: Russia in Southeast Europe (Yale University Press, 2017) explores Russia’s geopolitical role in the Balkans, Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey. He is a regular contributor to Al Jazeera, the American Interest, Politico, Foreign Policy, and Open Democracy. NOTE: This episode was recorded via Zoom on Friday, September 4th, 2020. CREDITS Balkan Circle organizers: Dr. Mary C. Neuburger and Dr. Kiril Avramov Administrative and Technical Support: Cara Keirstead and Roy Flores Music Producer: Charlie Harper (Connect: facebook.com/charlie.harper.1485 Instagram: @charlieharpermusic) www.charlieharpermusic.com (Additional music by Ketsa, Scott Holmes, John Bartmann, and Kariatida ) Executive Producer/Editor: Michelle Daniel (Connect: facebook.com/mdanielgeraci Instagram: @michelledaniel86) www.msdaniel.com Follow us on social media! Twitter: @SlavXRadio Facebook: /slavxradio Instagram: @slavxradio Visit https://slavxradio.com for more episodes and content. DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this episode do not necessarily reflect those of the show or the University of Texas at Austin.Special Guests: Dimitar Bechev, Kiril Avramov, and Mary C. Neuburger.